MIMBY: Mercury in my back yard (and yours!)

Songbirds show high mercury levels 2

Conservation groups have spent the last few years fighting to make sure that FDA warnings about mercury are actually shared with consumers -- and we're starting to have some real success getting the message out. Many consumers, especially expecting mothers, now know about these warnings and are closely monitoring which -- and how much -- seafood they eat in a given week to avoid mercury contamination. But as The New York Times reports, a recent study shows that mercury has spread further than previously thought.

This "eye-opening" study tested songbirds in New York and found that every one had elevated levels of mercury -- meaning that mercury is now literally finding its way into our back yards.

Andrew Sharpless is the CEO of Oceana, the world’s largest international nonprofit dedicated to ocean conservation. Visit www.oceana.org.

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  1. Amy Gregory Posted 5:27 am
    26 Jul 2006

    Troubling Signs, learn more and check yourselfThis is a troubling report, thanks for pointing it out. I have to admit, though it is troubling, it is not entirely surprising.
    We have been working on this issue for years and have  set up the National Hair Sampling Project for Mercury Exposure to document the toxin's penetration into our society.
    We encourage everyone to use the project not only to contribute to greater scientific knowledge on the matter, but also to help protect themselves.
    Interim results have proven worrysome, much like the bird study sited here, showing elevated levels in large portions of the population. The Bush administration needs to open its eyes to the health threats posed by mercury and enact real legislation that would cut emissions from coal-burning power plants and other prominent sources.

    Amy Gregory

    GreenpeaceUSA

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  2. gotmercuryorg Posted 8:12 am
    26 Jul 2006

    GotMercury.Org exposure calculatorTo find out how much mercury you're ingesting from fish and shellfish, please visit http://GotMercury.Org to calculate your exposure.  Using the FDA's available testing data with the EPA's calculation of maximum recommended exposure, you can estimate how much seafood is safe to eat in a given week based on your weight.
    Until we can stop polluting our oceans with mercury, consumers need to protect themselves.  As the article mentions, the FDA is not doing enough to educate the public nor is it sufficiently screening our seafood for mercury or other contaminants.
    There are plenty of healthy food choices that do not include eating swordfish or tuna.  Why take an unnecessary risk?

    Eli

    (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

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