Reducing Your Exposure to Mercury
Fossil fuel--when burned in power plants and cars, and industrial facilities such as cement kilns, mining and steel mills--releases mercury into the air. When it settles in lakes and streams, it undergoes a chemical change to become an even more toxic substance: methyl mercury. This substance then builds up in the bodies of fish--including those we eat.
Avoid fish high in mercury. Fish that are known to be high in mercury are long-lived and large predators. Limit consumption of tuna, especially steaks and canned ‘white’ albacore. Lower-mercury choices include wild salmon, Dungeness crab, tilapia, clams, mussels, and Pacific oysters. You can find additional guidance on fish choices at the following websites: Environmental Defense’s Oceans Alive: Best and Worst Seafood, and Environmental Working Group: Mercury in Seafood (includes Tuna Calculator).
Exercise caution when consuming sport-caught fish. If you eat sport-caught fish, check the Oregon Department of Human Service’s fish advisories for specific guidance on Oregon water bodies or coastal waters. Almost 20% of Oregon’s waterways are under fish advisories due to contamination from persistent bioaccumulative pollutants, including mercury. Click here for Oregon's current fish and shellfish consumption advisories.
Avoid purchasing and using consumer products that contain mercury. The most common household items that may contain mercury include thermostats and thermometers.
Make sure your medicines are free of mercury. Some home remedies, including some Hispanic folk remedies (“grieta”), Ayurvedic herbal preparations, as well as drugs and cosmetics, can contain mercury. Look at ingredient lists, talk to your doctor, and avoid folk remedies and other medicines that contain mercury.
Dispose of mercury-containing products responsibly. To dispose of batteries, light-up novelty toys, thermometers, thermostats, compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) and other mercury-containing items, find the nearest hazardous waste facility at www.earth911.org.
Take care with compact fluorescent bulbs. While CFLs do contain a small amount of mercury, they reduce overall mercury emissions because they are far more efficient than incandescent bulbs and reduce the amount of coal burned to power our homes. If a fluorescent bulb is broken at home, open the windows for 15 minutes to let vapors disperse. Use gloves to pick up pieces, or use sticky tape to clean up small pieces and powder. Don’t use a vacuum—this will only disperse particles. Seal all pieces in a plastic bag or glass jar and dispose of it at a hazardous waste recycling facility.
Choose green energy. A primary source of mercury in the environment is pollution from coal-fired power plants. Although Oregon only has one coal power plant, one-third of our electricity is generated by coal-fired power plants located here and in nearby states. By choosing your power utility’s green energy option, you can help to reduce mercury and other air pollutants across the West.
Ask your elected officials to take action on mercury reduction policies. Lobby your elected officials to strengthen regulations regarding the sale and recycling of consumer and industrial products containing mercury.
