Fish limits set due to mercury levels

Health officials on Monday issued fish-consumption advisories for two areas in Utah after elevated levels of mercury were found in fish.

Adults should limit their consumption of largemouth bass taken from Gunlock Reservoir in Washington County to no more than two 8-ounce servings a month, the Utah Department of Environmental Quality said in a release.

Adults can safely eat three 8-ounce meals per month of brown trout taken from Mill Creek in Grand County.

Pregnant women, nursing mothers and children should not eat more than one 4-ounce serving per month from either location. A 4-ounce serving is about the size of a deck of cards, health officials said.

Eating more than these amounts over a long period of time could result in an intake of mercury that exceeds the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency health recommendations, according to an analysis completed by the Utah Department of Health.

Any health risks associated with eating fish from either location are based on long-term consumption and are not tied to eating fish occasionally, the Utah Department of Environmental Quality said. Elevated mercury levels were found in six of eight largemouth bass taken from Gunlock, and in three of five brown tout from Mill Creek. The department said bluegills and channel catfish from Gunlock also were tested, but didn't show elevated mercury levels.

Mercury is a heavy metal that occurs naturally. Exposure to the element has been linked to neurological and kidney diseases, autism, loss of motor control and death. Young children and pregnant women are most at risk.