Mercury Toxicity Archives

"Mercury Rising" Politics and our health. Archive in mercury

Friends,

Where is the AMA and the ADA? They both are still insisting that the most important source of mercury in the human (the amalgams put there by the dentist) is still perfectly safe.

The current suit, against the ADA, is even necessary to protect dentists, who dare to tell their patients about the danger, from having their licenses taken away for doing so.

Politics will be the death of us yet!

Walt

Comments?
Misty L. Trepke
http://www.searching-alternatives.com

TUNA/ Mercury rising

Mercury rising

By Sam Trapani / Correspondent
Wednesday, October 1, 2003

Hold the mayo.

At the same time parents across the tri- town are packing tuna fish
sandwiches in their child's lunch believing they are providing a
healthy lunch choice, the state has revised and heightened its
warning for tuna consumption.

New information and studies about unsafe levels of mercury in
certain fish has made this issue float to the top once again. Local
obstetricians and pediatricians are heeding the Massachusetts
Department of Public Health's advisory which warns pregnant women,
women of childbearing age who may become pregnant, nursing mothers
and children under 12 years of age to refrain from eating large
marine fish like shark, swordfish, mackerel, tilefish and tuna
steak. The revised warning also includes canned tuna which was
previously exempt. The Environmental Protection Agency's most recent
mercury warning also includes the recommendation that canned tuna be
limited to two cans per week for adults in the high-risk categories
and no more than one tuna sandwich per week for a young child.
Mercury is of particular concern to the developing nervous system of
a fetus and young children.

Food for Thought

Lisa Fletcher of Boxford, herself a nurse, was surprised when she
took her four year old twins Dakota and Cassidy to their yearly
check ups and was told by their pediatrician about canned tuna being
included in the warning. "I had heard about the warning when I was
pregnant," said Fletcher. "But I was very surprised when the doctor
told us about the dangers for young children as well because of the
mercury content. It's not something that you hear about."

Fletcher's pediatrician Dr. David Danis with North Shore Pediatrics
at Beverly Hospital clarified his recommendation. "The newest
advisory from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health does
strongly say that children under the age of twelve should not have
more than a few ounces a week," said Danis. " If you have to eat
canned tuna a better choice would be to eat light tuna rather than
white or chunk white tuna. The latter of which has higher levels of
mercury."

Danis admits that the tuna issue is one that surprises most
parents. "It is a topic that I guess I have to add to my regular
spiel when we have yearly checkups. Along with baby proofing the
house, keeping medicines out of reach, etc. we need to start
educating about limiting tuna intake. It's just a lot for parents to
take in, but it is important."

Susan Bodwell, Director of food services for the Boxford and
Topsfield elementary schools said that she had also started to hear
warnings about the dangers of tuna for young children. "I had heard
about the possible high mercury content in even canned tuna," said
Bodwell. "We will bring up the topic at an upcoming meeting to
discuss how it affects the schools and what we should possibly do
about it. Right now we still serve it on our menus. But it would be
interesting to find out more about it."

Something Fishy...

Many people who fall into the high-risk category have not even heard
about the warnings issued by state and national government offices.
The tuna industry stated that warning women and children about the
risks of mercury exposure in canned fish could lead to more than a
20 percent drop in sales. (Reuters 9/6/2003) But various groups such
as the Mercury Policy Project said, "Sorry Charlie" to the fish
industry noting that people needed to know the dangers. Michael
Bender, director of the Mercury Policy Project conducted an
independent test on canned tuna. Cans of Star-Kist, Bumblebee and
Chicken of the Sea tuna and other brands were collected from
supermarkets across the country and sent to New Age/Landmark
Laboratory in Michigan. The National Food Laboratory in California
retested twenty percent of the white tuna samples. On average, six
percent of the white albacore tuna samples proved to have levels of
mercury over four times higher than the cans of light tuna tested.
Bender told the AP (6/2003), "Our tests confirm what the Food and
Drug Administration has known for over a decade. Yet the FDA halted
tests on canned tuna for mercury in 1998 to save money and because
the industry keeps its results secret while parents unknowingly
expose their children to mercury."

Another independent test wanting to determine the potential risk for
consumers analyzed 27 samples of major brands of tuna, fish sticks
and shrimp from grocery stores in San Francisco, Chicago and
Washington. Every sample contained mercury and tuna had the most
with an average of 0.167 parts per million. Based on the EPA's
standards, that means a four-year-old child is at risk by eating
more than one sandwich each week made of chunk light tuna. A
pregnant woman who eats a half can of tuna each day would also
expose her unborn baby to an unsafe dose. (Reuters 9/2003)

The FDA did strengthen their warnings but have not yet put it on the
labels of canned tuna where consumers could read about it. In the
meantime governors and state officials have released their own
warning of mercury contamination in fish. The number of advisories
has more than doubled in the last decade as mercury contamination
continues to rise. Forty-seven states have issued mercury warnings.

What is mercury?

Mercury is a natural element and can be found at low levels almost
everywhere. However, human activities such as coal powered utility
plants and trash disposal have significantly increased mercury
levels in the environment. Once released in the air it can travel
long distances and be deposited on soil and in water bodies. In
lakes, ponds and the ocean, mercury can be transformed by natural
processes into a more toxic form called methyl mercury. Methyl
mercury is absorbed by small organisms that are then eaten by fish.
The mercury becomes concentrated in the fish. The larger, older fish
concentrate the most chemicals. Large fish such as tuna, swordfish
and shark can have concentrations of mercury in their fatty tissues
a million times higher than the concentrations found in water.

Why is mercury dangerous?

Mercury is poisonous to the nervous system, kidneys, liver and
immune system. The form of mercury found is fish is methyl mercury.
It can damage the brain even at low levels of exposure. The
developing brains and nervous systems of children are very sensitive
to mercury and may be irreversibly damaged by it. Children can be
exposed to mercury in the womb if their mothers eat foods
contaminated with this toxin. The National Academy of Sciences
estimates that 60,000 children may be born each year in the United
States with neurological problems due to exposure to mercury in the
womb. The effects caused by this exposure may be permanent and could
lead to poor school performance and health problems. (Massachusetts
Executive Office of Environmental Affairs and Department of
Environmental Protection.)

What can be done about it?

Parents can follow the state and national fish advisories. Dr. Danis
suggests consuming safer choices of fish that do not have high
mercury content such as haddock, flounder and cod as well as farmed
salmon. "Fish is a great source of protein and is low and fat," said
Danis. "So we don't want people to stop eating it. Just select the
right fish."

The high mercury levels in fish from lakes, ponds and oceans across
the region prompted the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian
Premiers to adopt a regional mercury action plan in June 1998. This
plan has spurred many aggressive actions to reduce mercury pollution
in the region. Massachusetts has already lowered mercury emissions
in the state by more than 50%. But because mercury persists for so
long it will be many years before mercury levels in our fish
decrease significantly. It is important for people to be aware of
and follow fish consumption advisories.

For further information about mercury warnings:

Call 1-866-9MERCURY

http://www.townonline.com/boxford/news/local_regional/tri_newttmercur
y10012003.htm