Environment

Mercury Found In All US Fish

by Annina Bergman | August 25, 2009 at 09:13 am

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All wild fish in the United States contain mercury, according to a federal survey released August 19. The survey looked at over 1,000 fish from nearly 300 streams around the U.S, and found that they were all contaminated with various amounts of mercury. About a quarter of the fish contained doses of mercury higher than the Food and Drug Administration deems safe to eat.

The study by the U.S. Geological Survey is the most comprehensive look to date at mercury in the nation's streams. From 1998 to 2005, scientists collected and tested more than a thousand fish, including bass, trout and catfish, from 291 streams nationwide.

Mercury, also called quicksilver, is mainly released into the environment through combustion in coal-fired power plants. Other sources of mercury include volcanoes, production of steel and gold, and waste disposal.

As mercury is fat solluble, fish acumulate it in their bodies over time, and the concentrated amount of mercury rises when one fish eats another contaminated fish. Mercury can cause damage to the nervous system in humans, and lead to learning disabilities in young children.

You can assess the mercury levels in different types of fish using the calculator on gotmercury.org. If you live in the U.S, you can call the FDA's hotline 1-888-SEAFOOD. They also have a mercury information page.

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Anonymously Given (not verified)

at 10:27 on August 25th, 2009

What is it about Mercury that causes our leaders to love it so much? ... It is among the most poisonous, toxic substances on earth, yet we put it into our mouths (dental fillings), we put it into our air (coal fired plants), and we put it into the landfill (New CFL compact fluorescent light bulbs). ... The latter means by which Mercury may be introduced into the environment is a recent phenomenon that has been forced by legislative acts world wide! (To phase out "wasteful" incandescent bulbs). ... What is wrong with the LED light? (No Mercury, and much more efficient than even CFL) ... Yes, I have been accused of being an early adopter of new conspiracy theories (and I have my reasons), but the Mercury Syndrome seems to be widespread and persistent enough to be part of a plan.