Louisiana Mercury Initiative

Starting in the 1990’s, the state of Louisiana began to address the presence of mercury in the environment and its resulting effects.  Under this initiative, two major goals were outlined: environmental management and minimization of health exposure. 

Actions

As a result of the initiative, (1) mercury laws & regulations were developed and enacted to restrict or ban sales of mercury-containing products, (2) an overall plan was developed towards environmental sources and management considerations, and (3) health advisory procedures for mercury consumption were initiated, and continue to be the primary way to protect public health.

1. Mercury Risk Reduction Act (RS 30:2571-2588);

2. Mercury Risk Reduction Rule (Part1: Chapter 27)

3. Mercury Risk Reduction Plan  - Program Overview

4. Fish Consumption and Swimming Advisories  - Public website with mapping interface

Four Areas of Interest for the Mercury Initiative

General Mercury Information

Education is key.  The following LDEQ links outline the mercury problem for the general public:

• LDEQ Mercury Initiative (2021)

• Defining the Problem (updated 2026)

• Historic Outreach Materials (2000’s)

• History and Progress of DEQ Mercury Programs

• Industrial Sources of Mercury in the Atmosphere

• Mercury Sources to Water and Associated Impact

• Consumer Products and Recycling

• LDEQ Mercury Awareness: Prevention & Protection VIDEO

Specific areas of interest surround mercury in the environment. The links below address these  particular groups within Louisiana:

• Mercury: Hospitals & Local Government (updated 2026)

• Mercury for Schools (historic)

• Mercury in Consumer Products* (updated link)

*Consumers may have mercury products in their homes; these are often from lighting such as fluorescent light bulbs (LED bulbs do not contain mercury).  Proper disposal is essential, as placing into the regular trash can release mercury into the environment.  Warnings are present on product packaging with words such as ‘contains mercury’, ‘dispose according to local laws’, and/or contain these symbols:

Disposal options for after use

1. Association of Lighting and Mercury Recyclers

2. Lamp Recycling - (lamps=light bulbs)

3. Earth911

4. Drop off at an approved waste facility (contact your local landfill/s for information)

5. Additional information provided under Education

Clean-up Recommendations

• USEPA Cleaning Up Mercury Spills 

Additional Information on mercury is available from multiple groups. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and partners help guide states on priority pollutants like mercury:

• Mercury Minimization Program Guidance (LDEQ)

• USEPA Mercury Webpage 

• Agency for Toxic substances and Disease Registry

Manufacturer Requirements

Selling mercury containing products into Louisiana must follow state statutes and regulations.  Several states have such laws, which may differ slightly on what is allowed (e.g., content restrictions and products that are completely banned).  It is the responsibility of manufacturers (see definition in statutes) to understand and comply.

State requirements are in addition to any federal mandates

• Mercury in Products: Manufacturer Requirements

Mercury Advisories

Background

The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) Health/Fish Consumption Advisories Program, in conjunction with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ), issues advisories to help ensure the safe enjoyment of Louisiana 's water resources. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), and the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) are also consulted during the course of advisory development and dissemination. An Interagency Agreement between the four agencies was agreed upon July 9, 2012.  

Louisiana's fish consumption advisories are developed using a risk based public health assessment method which establishes consumption levels designed to prevent adverse effects. This approach is used to determine safe consumption levels for different segments of the population. For example, children under 7 and women who may become pregnant are often considered separately in developing consumption advisories because these populations are generally at greater risk from eating contaminated seafood. Therefore, consumption advisories will often be stricter for them.

Primary Links

• Fish Consumption And Swimming Advisories   LDEQ

• Frequently Asked Questions about Mercury Contamination LDEQ

• Eating Recreationally Caught Seafood in Louisiana  LDH

• Current Mercury Advisories  LDH

• Mercury in Fish  LDH

• Fish and Shellfish Advisory Programs  USEPA

Additional Information

A report (2025) was developed by the USEPA to investigate national trends in blood mercury concentrations and fish consumption among women 16-49 years of age. Decreasing trends in blood mercury concentrations suggest that women consuming fish are following the EPA-FDA advice about eating fish and shellfish (including local advisories) to protect their health.

In some cases, fish are sampled by the LDEQ in areas of suspected chemical contamination such as near facilities that have experienced spills or had poor wastewater management practices in the past. Where such problems are found, LDEQ is active in remediating contaminated areas where this is appropriate and in correcting the actions that caused the contamination to occur. Due to the widespread occurrence of mercury in Louisiana and the nation, popular fishing areas and many other water bodies statewide are sampled to determine the extent of risks due to mercury. Procedures developed by the LDH, LDEQ, LDWF and LDAF are then implemented to determine if a risk to human health exists. If it is determined there is a need for a health advisory, press releases are prepared for public dissemination of the information. Advisories are also published in LDWF's annual fishing regulations. However, because the regulations are published once a year, it is likely that new advisories have been established following release of the regulations.

The document, "Protocol for Issuing Public Health Advisories for Chemical Contaminants in Recreationally Caught Fish and Shellfish," presents details about how fish advisories are developed in Louisiana.  The Tissue Screening Level (TSL) document is a companion document to the Protocol document, and provides screening levels for commonly encountered contaminants in seafood tissues. The TSL were developed based on exposure assumptions used in the advisory process. These levels are not intended to be applied as regulatory standards but rather are being proposed as a tool to assist regulated parties in identifying acceptable analytical detection limits for chemicals of concern (COC) in fish/shellfish tissue, evaluating sediment remedial strategies and alternatives, evaluating biomonitoring data, etc.

Mercury Data

Fish tissue and related mercury data for over 500 locations statewide are publically available for a variety of species and media. Some locations have periodic data going back to 1994.  Currently, the primary goal of the program is to address mercury in fish tissue.

The Louisiana Mercury Initiative data is available by accessing the LEAU Web Portal. 

• To locate the mercury data, select "VIEW DATA" under "Mercury Initiative." You will then be able to select specific sites and water bodies of interest.

• A map of the sites can also be viewed by selecting "VIEW DATA" under "Projects," then entering the project number "WQ1994001" in the search window.