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http://www.adph.org/tox/assets/Fish_...pdate_2016.pdf
Nothing (NEW) to see here folks.Quote:
The ADPH recommends that sensitive populations -- women who are pregnant, planning to become pregnant or breastfeeding, and children under 14 -- refrain from eating any king mackerel, shark, swordfish, or tilefish, and limit consumption of white tuna to 6 ounces per week. Those species carry high concentrations of mercury and other toxins which accumulate up the food chain.
Move along...
It looks like I have NOTHING to worry about, if the restriction is for fish 39 inches or more!
King Mackerel Under 39 inches
No restriction
Moving along......
Unfortunately, I haven't had to worry about king mac advisory length limit for quite some time.
I still say show me the person who has been hurt by eating too much king mackerel. Looks like there is no such person.
Now let's look for people who have been hurt by eating too much of all the typical grocery store processed junk. 1/3 of Alabamians are obese, over 10% have diabetes. Where is the advisory on Coca-Cola?
I have nothing to worry about I can't eat fish. Sure love to catch em.
The impact of high levels of mercury on kids is well documented, similar to lead exposure.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pierless
But its an advisory, people may choose to follow it or not.
Anyone who catches a lot of big kings (or largemouth bass out of just about every coastal river) and wants to feed them 3-4 times a week to their young kids and pregnant wife, that's their choice.
There are a lot other fish that don't bio-accumulate mercury, why take the chance???
CarlF - You bring up a good point about coastal largemouth bass, which a coastal resident is more likely to consume regularly than king mackerel over 39 inches. I believe in the science behind the bioaccumulation of mercury. While it may not be something that is immediately deadly (bioaccumulation is a process, after all) if it leads to any degree of mental slowness or neurological impairment or long term cancer risk (a shorter life down the road for your present small children) -- I agree with you - why take the chance (on THEM, if there's a THEM) when there are so many other choices for fish consumption than largemouth bass and large king mackerel? For my own circumstances, it's just me - my kids are grown and my wife doesn't eat fish. I'd likely give away a large king because it's more fish than I could eat, anyway!
Where does Mercury in fish come from? Is it just in saltwater or freshwater or both?
Volcanoes and spreading ridges, coal burning power plants, gold mining (small operations, but these probably do not affect us much in the GoM). Old oil well drill cuttings were documented to have a localized effect (cuttings are not dumped on the floor anymore).Quote:
Originally Posted by witler
The ratio of natural sources to anthropogenic is not really known. Mercury is a necessary nutrient in small doses and it is not really known what the effect of low levels is. There is evidence that selenium deficiency has an important effect as the brain takes up mercury if it cannot get selenium (selenium is also toxic at some level, but a necessary nutrient).
I take a selenium supplement just in case.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/release...0629081932.htm
The Surprising Source of Most Mercury Pollution
What frednic said....
A lot of the mercury warning stuff is pretty selective. Most of us have plenty of mercury in our mouths (see above, link below). I have a feeling that a lot of the warnings about mercury in fish is driven by EPA campaign against coal burning (disclosure: I am a mining engineer and worked for coal mining companies for 10 years).Quote:
The average individual has eight amalgam fillings and could absorb up to 120 micrograms of mercury per day from their amalgams. These levels are consistent with reports of 60 micrograms of mercury per day collected in human feces.12 By way of contrast, estimates of the daily absorption of all forms of mercury from fish and seafood is 2.3 micrograms and from all other foods, air and water is 0.3 micrograms per day. 13 Currently, Germany, Sweden and Denmark severely restrict the use of amalgams.1
Mercury Toxicity and Systemic Elimination Agents ? Information and Sources
It not just that its mercury, its the type of mercury.
The mercury that was used in fillings (and old thermometers & thermostats) was metallic mercury, almost non-reactive and not readily made biologically available. As in if you have metallic mercury in your mouth and actually swallowed some, it just gets passed right on through or filtered out quickly, not really a problem.
The problem is methylmercury, which is a highly biologically available form of mercury.
Methylmercury is created when metallic mercury is deposited into aquatic environments and then processed by certain bacteria. This type of bacteria is especially prevelant in the sediments of tannic coastal rivers & backwaters.
The mercury, whether natural or man-sourced, gets into the sediment, is processed by these bacteria into methylmercury and then move up the food chain, bringing the methylmercury along with them to be bioaccumulated. Think bug eat lots of bacteria, little fish eat lots of bugs, bass eats lots of little fish. Bass get all the mercury from all the food chain and doesn't expel it, but stores it in fatty tissue.
Oily long lived top predators such as kings, tuna, swordfish tend to bioaccumulate more mercury than short lived species like specs, mahi or Spanish macs.
The interesting thing to me is that while this methylmercury does not seem to effect the fish, it sure does seem to effect humans (if exposed to enough, look up Minimata disease, scary). Probably because fish evolved a way to store the mercury found in these ecosystems, like storing it in the fatty tissue.
What Carl said. I "knew" that but posted the link during a prolonged brain fart.
:barbershop_quartet_
Carl, here is what I'm getting at -- I don't see any evidence in any literature anywhere of measurable harm done by consuming fish with the mercury levels we see in our gulf fish. The Minimata tragedy is a totally different situation. By some accounts, the levels of mercury in sediment there was enough that it would've been economically viable to mine!Quote:
Originally Posted by CarlF
Interesting study on mercury in the Gulf, Gulf fishes and people:
http://people.seas.harvard.edu/~swof...Sunderland.pdf
http://oceana.org/sites/default/file...port_Final.pdf (Look at the top of page 6 on this one.)
From the top of page 7 & to Pierless's point.
(My Emphasis)Quote:
Fifteen participants (23%) reported one or more symptom of mercury toxicity listed on the survey. Numbness or tingling in extremities, memory problems, and headache, were the most reported symptoms. Three participants had been told by their doctors that they had a problem with their nervous system. There was no correlation between mercury levels and reported symptoms, however.
You makes your choice and you takes your chance.
From page 9 of the Oceana report:I think that's a little misstated. His level was over two times the EPA recommended maximum and 10 times the US average (albeit the average is not well established).Quote:
A recent study reported mercury poisoning resulting in visual loss in a British male with mercury levels a little over 2 times the EPA mercury reference dose.16 This individual reported consuming 10-12 fish meals per week, most of which were red snapper from the Caribbean.
BUT, we do seem to have here a documented case of problems.
Link to report (reference 16):Diet?related mercury poisoning resulting in visual loss
Let's stop arguing about the effects of mercury and start talking about how people get dumber the closer they live to a city. I think there is some real validity to that line of thinking. By the way, I don't live within two hours of a large city, so I am brilliant. :)
Well, I feel better after reading this, as it only mentioned flounder from the upper bay and estuary of Mobile, and not a thing about pompano and whiting, the species we target surf fishing. I will never become pregnant, so that is a good thing, but we share what we catch with friends and family. Flounder, pompano and whiting appear safe, at least for now.
I appreciate the thoughtful discourse and good research! I must admit the case of the 36 year old man eating 10-12 snapper per week does look like a legitimate case of mercury toxicity.
I do not doubt that there is mercury in fish, and enough mercury will cause symptoms, but it takes a LOT. I suppose my issue with the entire thing is the amount of attention it gets and the rather limiting consumption guidelines imply a much larger risk than what risk truly exists.
I actually did have my hair tested for mercury in high school. I clocked in at 10x the suggested upper limit. However, I never had any symptoms, and I am pretty confident my brain was working pretty well as this was right before I aced both the ACT and SAT.
Therein lies the ambiguity of even 'scientific' guidelines.
Most folks may be able to tolerate mercury levels 5X, 10X even 20X the minimum levels without becoming symptomatic.
But some (a few, how many?) may not be able to tolerate even a portion of the benchmark levels.
At least the current guidelines give a vague idea of those most vulnerable and leave the level of 'acceptable risk' to the individual.
Believe me, I was troubled 30 years ago when I first learned of higher than acceptable levels of mercury levels in king mackerel because I didn't want to poison my kids.
But they turned out just fine despite us eating mackerel regularly.
But I do concentrate on catching (or at least keeping only) smaller kings (less than 39" FL) or other species which are not on the warning list.
2017:
Alabama fish consumption advisories: Compete list of species on do-not-eat list | AL.com
Quote:
BY LEADA GORE
lgore@al.com
The Alabama Department of Public Health has issued its annual fish consumption advisories.
The advisories are based on samples of 641 fish species collected for analysis at 48 stations around the state. The samples are tested to determine whether they have contaminants that could possibly be harmful to humans.
Newly issued advisories include the safe number of meals of that species of fish that can be eaten in a set time, such as meals per week, meals per month or do not eat any. A meal portion is defined as 6 ounces of cooked fish or 8 ounces of raw fish.
The advisories are just that, according to the ADPH.
"No regulations ban the consumption of any of the fish caught within the state, nor is there a risk of an acute toxic episode that could result from consuming any of the fish containing the contaminants for which the state has conducted analyses," the department said in a written statement.
Below is the list of do-not-eat advisories. For a complete list of other advisories based on recommendations, go here.
Do not eat advisories
- Bear Creek at Allsboro Road in Colbert County - largemouth bass (mercury)
- Bear Creek Reservoir dam firebay area - Largemouth bass (mercury)
- Big Nance Creek at Lawrence County Road 25 - Largemouth bass (mercury)
- Flint Creek downstream of West Flint Creek confluence, vicinity of Highway 31 - Largemouth bass (mercury)
- Little Bear Creek Reservoir at mile 12.5 - Largemouth bass (mercury)
- Town Creek 4 miles upstream of Highway 227 Bridge in Marshall County - Largemouth bass (mercury)
- Widows Creek 1.5 miles upstream of Tennessee River confluence to first bridge crossing on Million Dollar Bridge in Jackson County - Largemouth bass (mercury)
- Widows Creek upstream of Jackson County Road 96 - Largemouth bass (mercury)
- Bay Minette Creek near Highway 225 bridge in Baldwin County - Largemouth bass (mercury)
- Big Creek Reservoir, lakewide in Mobile County - Largemouth bass (mercury)
- Bilbo Creek upstream of the confluence with the Tombigbee River in Washington County - Largemouth bass (mercury)
- Bon Secour Bay - vicinity of County Road 10 bridge in Baldwin County - Largemouth bass (mercury)
- Chickasaw Creek, entire creek in Mobile County - Largemouth bass (mercury)
- Cold Creek Swamp from confluence of Cold Creek with the Mobile River west through the swamp - All species (mercury)
- Cowpen Creek upstream of confluence with fish river - All species (mercury)
- Escatawpa River in the vicinity of US Hwy 98 bridge west of Wilmer - Blacktail redhorse, largemouth bass, spotted bass (mercury)
- Fish River in vicinity of Polecat Creek 1 mile upstream of County Road 32 bridge in Baldwin County and 2 miles upstream of US Highway 98 bridge in vicinity of Waterhole Branch/Fish River confluence - Largemouth bass (mercury)
- Fowl River entire river in Mobile Count - Largemouth bass (mercury)
- Magnolia River approximately 2.5 miles upstream of Weeks Bay - Largemouth bass (mercury)
- Mobile River at Cold Creek at river mile 27 - All species (mercury)
- Polecat Creek - Upstream of confluence with Fish River - All species (mercury)
- Sipsey River embayment .5 miles upstream of confluence with Tombigbee River in Tuscaloosa County - Largemouth bass (mercury)
- Tensaw River at the L&N Railroad Crossing - Largemouth bass (mercury)
- Tombigbee River at river mile 50 and vicinity of McIntosh Landing at river mile 60- Largemouth bass (mercury)
- Inland Reservoir forbay area in Blount County - Largemouth bass (mercury)
- Choccolocco Creek entire length of creek from south of Oxford to Logan Martin Lake in Calhoun, Talladega counties; in vicinity of County Road 399 bridge in Talladega County; Choccolocco Creek embayment, approximately 1 mile upstream of lake confluence - All species (PCBs, mercury)
- Clairborne Reservoir lower reservoir and dam forebay in Monroe County - Largemouth bass (mercury)
- Coosa River between Riverside and Logan Martin Dam in St. Clair and Talladega counties; between Logan Martin Dam and the railroad tracks crossing the Coosa near Vincent (Shelby, St. Clair, Talladega counties - Striped bass (PCBs)
- Lay Reservoir two miles downstream of Logan Martin Dam in St. Clair County - Spotted bass (PCBs)
- Logan Martin Reservoir lower reservoir and dam forebay in St. Clair, Talladega counties - Striped bass (PCBs)
- Sugar Creek at Martin Reservoir and Sugar Creek embayment in Tallapoosa counties - Largemouth bass (mercury)
- Thurlow Reservoir lower reservoir in Elmore County - Largemouth bass (mercury)
- Yates Reservoir lower reservoir and dam forebay in Tallapoosa County - Largemouth bass (mercury)
- Barbour Creek embayment of Walter George Reservoir in area of Highway 431 in Barbour County - Largemouth bass (mercury)
- Big Escambia Creek at Louisville and Nashville Railroad Bridge in Escambia County- Largemouth bass, spotted bass (mercury)
- Blackwater River in area between mouth of river and pipeline crossing southeast of Robertsdale in Baldwin County- Largemouth bass (mercury)
- Chattahoochee River near Alabama/Florida state line in Houston County- Largemouth bass (mercury)
- Choctawhatchee River 1.5 miles above the Alabama/Florida state line in Geneva County - Largemouth bass, spotted bass (mercury)
- Cowikee Creek embayment of WF George Reservoir - Largemouth bass (mercury)
- Frank Jackson Reservoir dam forebay - Largemouth bass (mercury)
- Lake Jackson located at Alabama/Florida state line at Florala - Largemouth bass (mercury)
- Murder Creek at confluence of Burnt Corn Creek and Conecuh River in Escambia County - Largemouth bass, spotted bass (mercury)
- Perdido River near Highway 90 bridge crossing in Baldwin County - All species (mercury)
- Point A Reservoir lower reservoir and dam forebay in Conecuh County- Largemouth bass (mercury)
- Sepulga River near Brooklyn in Escambia County - All species (mercury)
- Styx River near Highway 90 Bridge crossing in Baldwin County - Largemouth bass (mercury)
- Uchee Cree embayment in Russell County - Largemouth bass (mercury)
- Yellow River at County Road 4 Bridge in Covington County- Largemouth bass (mercury)
- Entire Gulf Coast in Baldwin and Mobile counties - King Mackerel over 39 inches (mercury)
You can read more information about the advisories and what they mean here.
What really jumps out is that bass really bioaccumulate mercury.
Which Makes sense since they are at the top of the food chain.
I don't care for them anyway never liked the taste of them
most of the lakes and rivers in our country are contaminated and wont ever be cleaned up in most of our life time ,the further down stream the worse it gets,the great lakeswere in sad shape yearsago but have gotten better and may become sterile due to zebra muscles
It comes from coal fired power plants, for the most part. I've heard that the mercury levels in fish is going down as the U.S. is using more Natural gas (which doesn't have mercury) for electric plants. It's in both fresh and saltwater fish. It tends to be worse in the bigger and longer-lived predatory fish, as they have eaten more smaller fish and accumulated more mercury.Quote:
Originally Posted by witler
And also the problem is worse in tannic coastal river systems where elemental mercury is more easily methylated into biologically available form.
This is why we have such a problem in coastal rivers (like Fish River) where there is no apparent source of pollution other than air deposition.
I think that mercury contamination in long-lived pelagic saltwater top predators (king macs, tuna, sharks, etc..) may be a natural situation. Mercury is a trace element in seawater, so bioaccumulation up the food chain from natural sources probably explains most of the mercury found in these fish. But air pollution from 200 years of burning coal most likely did not help.