Methlymercury Contamination and High-Risk Fish Consumption

Seafood consumption has drawn the attention of researchers from a variety of disciplines. One of the concerns is whether fish consumption is healthy or risky. While fish is considered a component of a healthy diet the EPA and FDA issued advisories regarding the consumption of certain species of fish due to possibility of methylmercury contamination. Using a sample of people living in the coastal counties of Alabama and Mississippi who engage in recreational fishing this study uses multi­variate analysis to assess the effects of demographic behavioral and attitudinal variables on high-risk fish consumption. Previous research has revealed phenomenon known as the white male effect which is associated with risky behavior. Our study shows that white males in the deep-South are indeed more likely than women and African-Americans to consume high- risk fish. We also find that that knowledge of government risk advisories regarding methylmercury and fish con­sumption actually increases rather than decreases the consumption of high-risk fish.