Mercury overaccumulation in seafood is the focus of a report recently released by International POPs Elimination Network and the Biodiversity Research Institute.
The January study found that a large variety of fish from around the world contain high levels of toxic methylmercury that exceed standards set by the U.S. Federal Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Steven Otwell, a UF food science and human nutrition professor and seafood extension specialist for the Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences, said most seafood is safe to eat, but eating large quantities of fish with high mercury levels can be dangerous.
“The benefits far exceed the risks of consuming most seafoods, and they do so in a matter of weeks or months instead of the decades mercury might take,” he said.
The report found that fish from nine countries contained mercury levels that would be unhealthy for consumers who follow FDA safety guidelines.
Mercury accumulation in fish is a well-known problem, especially in Florida, Otwell said.
Trina Vielhauer, deputy director of Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Environmental Assessment and Restoration, said Florida’s mercury issues stem from weather systems that collect mercury pollution from around the world and deposit it in the state’s water system.
Vielhauer said her agency monitors human and animal populations near areas that have high mercury levels. While water treatment plants know to monitor mercury levels, there is no way to effectively clean mercury-polluted water, she said.
The Everglades’ largely landlocked location makes it one of the primary areas of concern. The region’s sluggish water doesn’t move the mercury out of the environment efficiently, and it allows for buildup in not just the aquatic species but also their predators, Otwell said.
He added that without a way to reduce mercury’s presence in sensitive areas, the problem will only magnify.
