Mercury-tainted fish found in US streams

[Thorn]

If you fish, or if you eat fish caught in freshwater streams in the U.S. you should read this. Among all the fish tested from the 291 US streams sampled, all tested positive for mercury contamination.

Further details at link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090820/sc_nm/us_fish_mercury_1

 

[uscitizen]

Strange how fish is healthy for you but only eat a couple of servings a month or so because of mercury.

Wasn't it Dano who said "A little mercury nerver hurt anybody"?

The KY official fishing guide book says how many servings max for people to eat. Different max consumption for young, old, etc.

A thought...

Rural people eat more caught fish and they have become increasingly conservative over recent years....

 

[Thorn]

Strange how fish is healthy for you but only eat a couple of servings a month or so because of mercury.

Wasn't it Dano who said "A little mercury nerver hurt anybody"?

Mercury was responsible for what was known as "Mad Hatter's Disease". It was used in the blocking of chapeaux by haberdashers and over time rose to toxic concentrations. It had direct effects on their brains, and in time they became permanently insane.

The problem is, and is further explained in the article, that mercury accumulates in the body, it isn't excreted ever. That's why the accumulations rise among organisms higher along the food chain. The first step, say algae, may contain nontoxic levels, but that's eaten by small freshwater marine life, which accumulate it during their life times. In turn they are eaten by larger creatures, and so on. So by the time a fish large enough to provide a meal for a human eats its fill over its life, it contains a much higher concentration of mercury. The more we eat, the more we accumulate, too.

 

[uscitizen]

Mercury was responsible for what was known as "Mad Hatter's Disease". It was used in the blocking of chapeaux by hatmakers and over time rose to toxic concentrations. It had direct effects on their brains, and in time they became permanently insane.

The problem is, and is further explained in the article, that mercury accumulates in the body, it isn't excreted ever. That's why the accumulations rise among organisms higher along the food chain. The first step, say algae, may contain nontoxic levels, but that's eaten by small freshwater marine life, which accumulate it during their life times. In turn they are eaten by larger creatures, and so on. So by the time a fish large enough to provide a meal for a human eats its fill over its life, it contains a much higher concentration of mercury. The more we eat, the more we accumulate, too.

Right that is what I recall hitting Dano with. It never did soak in with him. Too much mercury already I suppose.

 

[WinterBorn]

Mercury was responsible for what was known as "Mad Hatter's Disease". It was used in the blocking of chapeaux by haberdashers and over time rose to toxic concentrations. It had direct effects on their brains, and in time they became permanently insane.

The problem is, and is further explained in the article, that mercury accumulates in the body, it isn't excreted ever. That's why the accumulations rise among organisms higher along the food chain. The first step, say algae, may contain nontoxic levels, but that's eaten by small freshwater marine life, which accumulate it during their life times. In turn they are eaten by larger creatures, and so on. So by the time a fish large enough to provide a meal for a human eats its fill over its life, it contains a much higher concentration of mercury. The more we eat, the more we accumulate, too.

We have the books advising us to only eat so many servings of freshwater fish we catch. I always look at it as the government tell me "YOu can eat this much poison and its fine".

 

[leaningright]

A thought...

Rural people eat more caught fish and they have become increasingly conservative over recent years....

Maybe that is why I am growing ever more conservative......been a stellar year at the lakes.

 

[FUCK THE POLICE]

Mercury was responsible for what was known as "Mad Hatter's Disease". It was used in the blocking of chapeaux by haberdashers and over time rose to toxic concentrations. It had direct effects on their brains, and in time they became permanently insane.

The problem is, and is further explained in the article, that mercury accumulates in the body, it isn't excreted ever. That's why the accumulations rise among organisms higher along the food chain. The first step, say algae, may contain nontoxic levels, but that's eaten by small freshwater marine life, which accumulate it during their life times. In turn they are eaten by larger creatures, and so on. So by the time a fish large enough to provide a meal for a human eats its fill over its life, it contains a much higher concentration of mercury. The more we eat, the more we accumulate, too.

Methylmercury accumulates. Ethylmercury does not. I assume they're talking about methylmercury.

 

[FUCK THE POLICE]

We have the books advising us to only eat so many servings of freshwater fish we catch. I always look at it as the government tell me "YOu can eat this much poison and its fine".

Mercury has a toxicity threshold, along with most everything else. But since methylmercury accumulates, it would put a straight limit on the amount you could eat over a lifetime.

 

[Damocles]

Coal fired plants produce monomethylmercuric cation.

The easiest solution is to go nuclear.

 

[FUCK THE POLICE]

Coal fired plants produce monomethylmercuric cation.

The easiest solution is to go nuclear.

Agreed on nuclear, but is that the main source of it getting into our lakes?

It honestly seems as if this has the ability to kill off the ecosystem in our rivers.

 

[FUCK THE POLICE]

monomethylmercuric cation.

Damo using wiki to make himself look smarter.

It would actually be monomethylmercuric cations, since "cation" is a description of the atom.

 

[Thorn]

Methylmercury accumulates. Ethylmercury does not. I assume they're talking about methylmercury.

Yes, they are. It's about midway down the article.

 

[Damocles]

Agreed on nuclear, but is that the main source of it getting into our lakes?

It honestly seems as if this has the ability to kill off the ecosystem in our rivers.

Yes, this is the main source. Did you read the article?

 

[FUCK THE POLICE]

Yes, this is the main source. Did you read the article?

Nope.

 

[Thorn]

Nope.

This one is actually worth reading; it's quite well written and comprehensive for a news article.

 

[Cypress]

This one is actually worth reading;

it's quite well written and comprehensive for a news article.

why would I want to do that, when we have message board experts on mercury chiming in?

Good catch Thorn. Nice short article, chock full of info.

I don't think we burn a lot of coal out west; abandoned mines are a huge source in this state. I don't know about other states like yours. I have a great story about a mercury mine inspection we did last year; I'll have to tell you about some time. Ha, it was hilarious! It involved hillbillies, dogs, and shotguns. Good times!