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 It's
well known that eating seafood contaminated with mercury is a threat
to human health, and particularly to pregnant women and children.
A campaign has been started by Gotmercury.org and the Turtle Island
Restoration Network to protect the public from these toxic effects.
Even the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns pregnant women,
children and women who might become pregnant to avoid eating certain
fish species because of their excessively high levels of methylmercury.
These include:
- Swordfish
- Shark
- Tilefish
- King mackerel
- Tuna (reduce intake)
A major goal of the campaign is to reduce
U.S. consumption of swordfish, tuna and other mercury-contaminated
seafood. They state two primary reasons for this:
- Mercury-contaminated seafood is a major public health concern.
- Long-line fishing fleets that target swordfish and tuna also
catch endangered sea turtles and other marine life, which is profoundly
upsetting the ecological balance of the world's oceans.
There are no mercury advisories to warn consumers of this potential
threat, so GotMercury.org has developed a calculator to help consumers
gauge how much mercury they are eating. The "Got Mercury? Calculator"
http://www.gotmercury.org/ can help you decide how much, and what
type, of seafood is safe for you and your family. And, it's
simple: Just enter your weight, the seafood type and quantity, and
hit the calculator button. The online calculator will tell you whether
your consumption exceeds the EPA's safe limit for mercury.
GotMercury.org
February 7, 2005
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