Most Fish Sold In New Jersey Exceeds Federal Mercury Limits

[hatrack]

"Most of the fish sold in supermarkets and fish stores in New Jersey contain more mercury than the federal government expects, say the authors of a new study. The study tested commercial fish statewide and found tuna was most contaminated with mercury and flounder was the safest fish for the money.

The mercury level found in croaker bought in New Jersey was three times the FDA estimate. The |level found in fresh tuna was up to twice as high as the federal government expects. Besides flounder, the fish with the lowest levels of mercury included whiting, porgy and cod. Salmon was not tested because research already has established that wild salmon is comparatively low in mercury.

Mercury is most dangerous to developing fetuses and small children, in whom it can cause developmental delays and lower intelligence. Adults who eat large amounts of certain fish, such as shark, tuna, mackerel and swordfish, may suffer nerve damage, memory loss and fatigue. The researchers argue that it's time for the state to step in with up-to-date information about what types of fish available in local stores are best for health. Their study was published in the March edition of Environmental Health Perspectives.

It didn't matter where the fish was bought - at the supermarket or the fish store, in rich towns or poor, or in northern, central or southern New Jersey, the study found. Flounder bought at the Shore had more mercury than flounder elsewhere, probably because it came from local waters, but it was still safer than other species."

EDIT

http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkzJmZnYmVsN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2NjYxMjc1JnlyaXJ5N2Y3MTdmN3ZxZWVFRXl5Mg==

[4_TN_TITANS]

1. Good God....

This article reeks of Repug logic.... Forget trying to locate and correct the source, just buy these fish that somehow escape the pollution that your Chimperor won't regulate! :mad: Anybody wonder how long it will be until the flounder is toxic???

[ramapo]

2. Read the article

The article clearly points out that emissions from coal-burning power plants is a major source of mercury. NJ has sued to force industry action to clean up the coal plant emissions. We all know why the industry has gotten off easy...money. And what's wrong with advising us to eat low-mercury fish? What else can we do? Do you expect people to actually raise enough of a raucous to FORCE politicians to do something?

The Record did an excellent series a few months ago on the sources and effects of coal emission pollution. Even that waste of a former-governor Whitman did her part before going off to "run" the EPA.

Coal is still touted as a wonderful fuel. It is an environmental disaster. The technology exists to clean it up but we'd rather spend the money blowing things up. That is what we're good at.

As Nnadir has posted many times, coal energy has turned out to be a far more serious health and environmental problem than nuclear. But we can't get our act together addressing the problems of that industry either; tons of waste sitting around in haphazard storage, little thought about what to do with decommissioned plants, plant security and so on.