New Warning on Mercury-Contaminated Fish

Ivanhoe Newswire
Thursday, March 8, 2007; 12:00 AM

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A new warning is out about the health risks of fish contaminated with mercury.

"The Madison Declaration on Mercury Pollution" comes from the latest scientific information about the dangers of mercury pollution. It focuses on 33 main findings from the world's leading mercury scientists. The declaration and research supporting it summarize what is known about mercury in the atmosphere, the socioeconomic and health effects of mercury pollution on humans, and its effects on the world's fisheries and wildlife.

Scientists say the health risks of mercury-contaminated fish are enough to issue a worldwide warning to the public to be careful about how much and which fish they eat, especially children and women of childbearing age.

Other major findings in the declaration include:

• An average of three-times more mercury is falling from the sky now than before the Industrial Revolution 200 years ago. This is a result of the increasing use of mercury and industrial emissions.
• Exposure to methyl mercury is now a public health problem in most parts of the world
• Methyl mercury levels in fish-eating birds and mammals are reaching toxic levels in some parts of the world. This could lead to declines in these species and possibly in fish populations
• There is now solid scientific evidence of the toxic health effects of methyl mercury, especially to the human fetus
• New evidence suggests exposure to methyl mercury may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, especially in men

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SOURCE: The Madison Declaration on Mercury Pollution