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They found mercury in every fish tested, according to the study by the U.S. Department of the Interior. They found mercury even in fish of isolated rural waterways. Twenty-five percent of the fish tested had mercury levels above the safety levels determined by EPA for people who eat the fish regularly. [11]
However, methylmercury is taken up at a faster rate than other forms and bioaccumulates to a greater extent. The biomagnification of methylmercury has a most significant influence on the impact on animals and humans. Fish appear to bind methylmercury strongly, nearly 100 percent of mercury that bioaccumulates in predator fish is methylmercury. [21]
According to a recent model study the total anthropogenic mercury released into the ocean is estimated to be around 80,000 to 45,000 metric tons and two-thirds of this amount is estimated to be found in waters shallower than 1000m level where much consumable fish live. [4] Mercury can bioaccumulate in marine food chains in the form of highly ...
As for how much mercury is dangerous, the exact number is up for debate. Per Ciarametaro, tissue concentration of 100 ng/mL of methylmercury or greater is commonly considered 'high'.
The FDA’s limit for mercury in fish is 1 part per million, which is ten times lower than the lowest levels associated with adverse effects, says Gavin Gibbons, a spokesperson for the institute.
Nearly all seafood, including fish and shellfish, contains trace amounts of mercury from the surrounding water, which they absorb when they feed, per the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The concentration of mercury in any given fish depends on the species of fish, the age and size of the fish and the type of water body in which it is found. [24] In general, fish-eating fish such as shark , swordfish , marlin , larger species of tuna , walleye , largemouth bass , and northern pike , have higher levels of methylmercury than ...
This process explains why predatory fish such as swordfish and sharks or birds like osprey and eagles have higher concentrations of mercury in their tissue than could be accounted for by direct exposure alone. For example, herring contains mercury at approximately 0.01 parts per million (ppm) and shark contains mercury at greater than 1 ppm. [6]