An analysis of the dietary habits and blood mercury levels in more than 1,700 women suggests that more than 300,000 newborns in the United States each year may have been exposed to unacceptable levels of mercury from their mother's consumption of fish. Most of the moms who consume fish during pregnancy are not aware that over 40 tons of mercury are released into the United States EVERY year through the combustion in power plants of coal-containing mercury. This travels through the environment and eventually winds up being bioaccumulated into high concentrations in the fish.
This is especially tragic because omega-3 from fish is one of the healthiest foods for us and many people seeking good health are being sabotaged by not only the mercury but the PCBs in the fish.
Environmental Health Perspectives April 7, 2004
New York Times April 7, 2004