Tuna/Mercury Rising

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Misty L. Trepke

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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