Half of All Freshwater Fish in U.S. High in Mercury
In the 21st century, it seems, having kids and eating fish do not mix. The bad fish news just keeps on coming: Yesterday, a new analysis showed that more than half of the freshwater fish in the U.S. contain levels of mercury unsafe for children or women of childbearing age. An analysis by the environmental coalition Clear the Air, based on raw data released by the U.S. EPA last year, revealed that 55 percent of fish samples from U.S. lakes and reservoirs contained mercury levels unsafe for women of average weight to eat twice a week; 76 percent of samples were unsafe for children three and under of average weight to eat twice a week. The group used a press conference yesterday to lambaste what it called the Bush administration’s “too little, too late” efforts to decrease mercury emissions from power plants
