Most of us are aware of at least some of the dangers of mercury–it’s even making tabloid headlines these days (Jeremy Piven was pulled from the play Speed the Plow due to mercury poisoning from sushi). But that doesn’t mean enough is being done to counter the issue.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) urged environment ministers who met last week in Nairobi to work on a strategy to lessen the use of the toxic element, with one of the main focuses they suggested being developing a policy that would reduce the demand for mercury in products and processes.

Both the toxicity of mercury (it’s known to cause irreversible nervous system damage in developing systems) and its prevalence in our environment indicate a need for action. The high levels of mercury in fish show the vast amount of mercury that’s making its way into streams and rivers and while avoiding seafood known to contain high amounts of mercury helps, it doesn’t reduce the general levels of mercury, cause dby mercury’s use in a range of products, from the expected (thermometers and fluorescent lamps) to the unexpected (novelty toys and jewelry).

The UN’s call to attention came just weeks after two studies were released that link high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) to mercury. In the first, completed by the Institute for Agriculture and Trace Policy, 55 brand name foods that listed HFCS as the first or second ingredient were tested for mercury. One third tested positive. However, it’s worth noting that no mercury was found in the majority of the HFCS-containing beverages that were tested, and those drinks tend to be the highest source of HFCS in the average diet. Items with high mercury content included instant oatmeal, chocolate syrup and cereal bars.

In the second study, conducted in 2005 but published recently in the Environmental Health journal, 20 samples of commercial HFCS from three manufacturers were analyzed, with mercury found in nine of the samples. The study suggests the connection between HFCS and mercury has not been previously addressed and that contamination may occur when some manufacturers use caustic soda (which is sometimes mercury-contaminated) to separate corn starch from corn kernels.

You can avoid the harmful effects of mercury by limiting your intake of fish, choosing fish with low mercury levels, opting for natural goods in the home (especially in the areas of children’s toys), and, until conclusive evidence can find high fructose corn syrup to be free of mercury, passing on foods that contain the already-in trouble sweetner.

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