Mercury Levels In America Are Rising

Dan Laks, lead author of the study "Assessment of chronic mercury exposure within the U.S. population, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999--2006", analyzed data from the CDC's National Health Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and found that in the 1999-2000 NHANES survey, mercury was detected in the blood of 2 percent of women aged 18 to 49. That level rose to 30 percent of women by 2005-2006.

Furthermore, multivariate logistic regression revealed significant associations of both I-Hg detection and mean concentration with biomarkers for the main targets of mercury deposition and effect: the liver, immune system, and pituitary. This study provides compelling evidence that I-Hg deposition within the human body is a cumulative process, increasing with age and in the population over time.