Research: 84% of fish contain dangerous levels of mercury. Don’t eat more.

Research: 84% of fish contain dangerous levels of mercury. Don’t eat more. A survey by Maine’s “Biological Diversity Research Center” found…

Research: 84% of fish contain dangerous levels of mercury. Don’t eat more. A survey by Maine’s “Biological Diversity Research Center” found that 84% of fish contain excessive mercury levels. This poses a risk to human health, exceeding regulations that prohibit certain fish species from being eaten more than once a month. Eating fish is the main way to get mercury poisoning, with tuna and swordfish containing the highest levels of mercury. Mercury can cause permanent damage to the brain and kidneys. Because mercury contamination is global, no country can escape this contamination of its food supply. Reducing mercury pollution will be a topic of discussion at a United Nations conference in Geneva last week, where a U.S.-backed treaty to reduce mercury in fish is expected to be finalized. The proposed U.N. treaty calls for: filtering mercury emissions from burning coal, banning its use in gold mining and reducing its use in making electronic switches and batteries. 75% of the fish eaten in the United States is imported, many from the South China Sea, which accounts for the mercury contamination that enters our cans and food shelves every day.