Mercury found in Alberta eggs prompts health warning

EDMONTON – Alberta Health is advising people to cut back on eating eggs from birds nesting at two northern lakes because of mercury.

James Talbolt, chief medical health officer, says the advisory covers gull and tern eggs from Lake Athabasca and Mamawi Lake in the Peace-Athabasca delta.

Talbot says children and pregnant women are at higher risk from eating the eggs, but the advisory applies to everyone.

Mercury is a potent neurotoxin and often accumulates in eggs downstream of dams or industrial development.