The Environmental Protection Agency report is to be released soon, officials told the Journal, after being subjected to an unusual level of scrutiny by other federal agencies, including the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy.

People familiar with the final report, originally due last May, told the newspaper the study finds that mercury poses a serious health problem for children.

A partial draft, titled "America's Children and the Environment," notes that states increasingly are issuing warnings about dangerous mercury levels in fish, the article said. It says there is mounting evidence that mercury is collecting in the blood of women of child-bearing age.

Michael Magner, an analyst for the Public Education Center, a nonprofit, pro-environment research group, provided the draft copy of the report, dated in October, the newspaper said.

The report notes that children are more exposed and vulnerable to mercury and other environmental pollutants because they play outside, and for their size they drink more water, eat more food, and breathe more air than adults do, according to the article. When the final report will be released remains unclear, the Journal said.