Mercury levels in fish increasing
ByAs we eat fish like tuna, king mackerel, tilefish, swordfish, shark, and many other species- we are consuming small amounts of mercury. Fish can absorb methylmercury from what they eat and from the surrounding water when it passes their gills, that mercury then clings to the proteins in the fish in which cannot be removed by any known cooking or cleaning process. They don’t necessarily suffer much from mercury poisoning so it is often undetectable from a simple glance by a chef. Not only is there direct consumption but there are also the meats we eat that consume fish themselves. There is truly next to no avoiding it in it’s entirety.
As industries use mercury, they will inevitably release bits of mercury into the atmosphere which then makes it’s way into the water ways. Once mercury is in ocean sediment, microorganisms transform into methylmercury which then enters the nearby fish’s bodies, by then it becomes tightly bound to the proteins in it’s tissue. Which is then consumed by us.
For us to consume mercury is relatively harmless in small amounts, but as the amounts increase we become more exposed to the possibility of suffering mercury poisoning. This can result in neurological and behavioural disorders, symptoms being;
- tremors
- insomnia
- memory loss
- kidney damage
- emotional changes
- neuromuscular effects
- cognitive dysfunction
- motor dysfunction
Industries with electrical equipment, medical appliances, dentistry, barometers, paper manufacturing, paints or anything of the sort are most often releasing the mercury that makes it’s way into the oceans. Therefor simply shutting down these industries or cutting out their use of mercury is currently not an option. Our only options at the moment is to limit non-essential uses of mercury and keeping any mercury out of the garbage.
It may seem insignificant but fish causing mercury poisoning is increasingly common. You may think we could simply avoid fish, but fish is one of our main sources of protein. Cutting out fish also includes cutting out any other meat that may consume fish. Small amounts of mercury are (again) relatively harmless but as the mercury contents in the oceans increase, the amounts won’t be so small anymore.
References;
https://dec.vermont.gov/sites/dec/files/wmp/SolidWaste/Documents/alittlebit.pdf
https://www.northampton.gov.uk/info/200075/pollution/263/mercury-spillages
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/mercury-exposure-and-poisoning