U.S. Delays Cleaning up Toxic Mercury in Your Fish

December 27, 2003

The original plan, proposed in the year 2000 by the Clinton administration,

called for the cuts of the mercury emissions from utilities to take effect in

2008. If the Bush administration extends the time, mercury emissions won’t begin

to be capped until 2018. This will result in hundreds of tons of extra mercury

emissions.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in 12 women of

childbearing age have mercury levels in their blood that exceed levels that the

Environmental Protection Agency says is safe for fetuses. Mercury can be

ingested by nursing babies whose mothers eat contaminated fish.

Studies found that 40 percent of mercury emissions come from coal burning power

plants and have been found to cause neurological problems. Delaying the program

by 10 years will put countless infants and children at risk for brain damage.

Reuters UK December, 4 2003

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

Coal fired utility plants are releasing 40 TONS, or 80,000 pounds, of mercury a

year into the air. So, those of you who live near one of these beasts need to be

more concerned about air filters at work and home than taking care of the

amalgams in your mouth.

It also explains why most all fish are contaminated with mercury. Where do you

think this mercury winds up? Much of it goes into the water system and even

pristine lakes in the mountains, far removed from society, are contaminated with

mercury as a result of the winds, which blow this mercury around.

It is my strong recommendation to avoid all fish, unless you are absolutely

certain that it has been tested in a laboratory and shown not to contain

detectable levels of mercury and other toxins. Even the conservative

Environmental Protection Agency and Food and Drug Administration have issued

warnings about the dangers of mercury in fish, and they are now planning to

issue a federal warning to pregnant and nursing women, and even those thinking

of getting pregnant to limit their consumption of tuna, along with their

previous warnings about other types of fish, due to mercury concerns.

Fortunately, you do have viable options for obtaining the nutritious benefits of

fish, such as regularly consuming high-quality purified fish oil like the

Carlson's brand of fish oil, and enjoying the absolutely delicious Alaskan wild

red salmon from the one source I discovered, through independent lab-testing my

team coordinated, to be mercury- and PCB-free and safe.

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