Study Finds More Mercury in Freshwater Fish

[jigfreak]

I am waiting for the day when we wake up and they tell us that the only thing we can eat is cardboard.



http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Story?id=8369324&page=1



Study Finds More Mercury in Freshwater Fish


Government Report Notes Mercury Detected in Every Fish Tested in Streams


By ELISABETH LEAMY, JESSICA HOFFMAN and LARA NAAMAN
Aug. 21, 2009


A study released by the U.S. Geological Survey found mercury in every freshwater fish from nearly 300 streams that were tested, an astonishing result because mercury has usually been associated with large saltwater fish.

"We were surprised to find mercury in every fish. And what surprised us even more is that about a quarter of the fish contain mercury at levels above the EPA safe level," said Donna Myers of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).


After testing mercury levels in more than 1,000 fish over seven years, the USGS is warning Americans to limit the amount of large, predator freshwater fish they eat, such as large-mouth bass, pickerel, walleye and some catfish.
"People should be more aware of the kinds of fish they are eating, how frequently they are eating them, and to become more educated on where they are getting their fish," said Myers.
In response to the report, the National Fisheries Institute released a statement emphasizing the difference between the fish tested and the fish most Americans are likely to eat.
"It's important to note that this study is not about commercial seafood but recreationally-caught fish; not the kind Americans are likely to find at their grocery stores or in restaurants," the National Fisheries Institute said in a statement.

Feel Like Sushi? Get a 9-Ft. Tapeworm

"If you have a family member that's out there fishing in a stream, beware," "Good Morning America" medical contributor Dr. Marie Savard said. "But that's not what you're buying at the supermarket."


Harmful Effects of Mercury

Mercury is both formed naturally in the environment and is also caused by industrial pollution releasing it into the air.

It is a heavy metal and toxic to the brain and tissues in the body.
Mercury then gathers in streams and oceans and forms methylmercury in the water. When fish feed, they absorb the methylmercury, which is the type of mercury that is harmful, according to the EPA.
Too much methylmercury could damage the nervous system and impair mental functioning. It is most harmful to children and pregnant women.
Actress Daphne Zuniga of "One Tree Hill" said because she does not eat meat or chicken she would eat fish for its protein.
Yet she began to show symptoms of mercury poisoning.
"The most odd were sort of brain fog. Like, I would be talking to you and not know right in the middle of my sentence what exactly I was talking about," Zuniga said.
In the United States mercury poisoning is very rare, and most people who are exposed do not have any symptoms.
The America Association of Poison Control Centers documented 2,446 cases of mercury exposure, but only 96 people showed symptoms and no one died.
Mercury poisoning has usually been associated with large ocean fish, such as the tuna used in sushi.
But experts say it is the age of the fish that determines its mercury level, because older fish have had more time to absorb the toxin regardless of whether they live in a stream or the sea.

Does Raw Fish Have More Mercury Than Cooked Fish?

There is no method of cooking or cleaning fish that will reduce the amount of mercury in a meal because mercury is tightly bound to proteins in all fish tissue, including muscle.
Children and pregnant women should not eat any fish known to contain high mercury levels, such as shark, swordfish, king mackerel or tilefish, according to the EPA.
Men and women who are not pregnant should limit the amount of fish that could contain high amounts of mercury and eat plenty of the other seafood.

Bottom-eating fish, such as sardines, are safer because they eat algae.
The EPA suggest eating no more than 12 ounces, or two average meals, of fish lower in mercury or no more than 6 ounces, or one average meal, of fish higher in mercury each week.

But Savard says one week's consumption of fish does not drastically change the level of methylmercury in the body.
Also, cooking the fish does not make a significant difference in the mercury levels, she said.

Click Here for a List of Fish that Contain High and Low Amounts of Mercury

[strikezone31]

Here is another article on toxins in fish.

Big fish weigh in: Sens. Schumer and Gillibrand blast lack of info on toxins of fish

BY Erin Durkin

New york's senators on Monday blasted the lack of health warnings that have left many New Yorkers unknowingly eating dangerously contaminated fish.

After the Daily News reported that some cash-strapped New Yorkers are turning to city waterways for food, Sen. chuck Schumer called on the federal Environmental Protection Agency to investigate whether anglers get enough warnings about cancer-causing PCBs and mercury in fish.
"This is a creeping health crisis as more and more New Yorkers are fishing just to survive," Schumer said. "New Yorkers must be warned about the dangers of consuming fish caught in New York City's rivers."

State health advisories say kids and women of child-bearing age shouldn't eat any fish caught in local waters. Other adults should eat just one meal a month of fish such as striped bass and bluefish.

The News visited 18 fishing piers in city, state, and federal parks around the city and found warning signs posted at only one.
The state Health Department prints 36,000 pamphlets a year with the warnings, but The News found few park ranger stations or clinics had the material.

"It is a moral failure that New York families are turning to local waterways for food during this economic recession and are not being properly warned about the health risks," Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said.

Health Department spokeswoman Claire Pospisil said officials plan to step up efforts to publicize the fish advisories, but she couldn't offer any specifics.

"We're going to be looking at how we can reach out to more people," she said.

Pospisil said the state also relies on other agencies to post signs at parks and piers warning about the fish. City Parks Department officials insisted they had installed "hundreds" of warning signs. The News found only one at Lighthouse Park on Roosevelt Island.
Mayor Bloomberg said the city might post more signs, but added "Common sense says that you should be careful in eating fish from our local rivers...There's just so much coastline, you can't put signs everyplace."


Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2009/07/07/2009-07-07_big_fish_weigh_in_sens_schumer_and_gillibra_.ht ml#ixzz0Ow97fHS9

[fishinmission78]

I am so sick of people telling us what we can and can't eat. For pregnant women, yes-- pay attention. Me, I'll take my chances.