Wampum

Protecting the fishing industry from baby seals...and baby humans..

I have to admit that I fell down on the job recently, letting slip by the February 6th announcement by the EPA that their estimates of over 320,000 children per year born with blood levels of mercury that put them at risk for learning disabilities and neurological disorders were off by over 50%. The real number, they now admit, is probably closer to 630,000.

While that number seems rather high, let's put it in a bit more perspective.

630,000 out of 4,000,000 annual US births, or 15.75%.

In even more comprehensible terms, one out of every 6 children born in the U.S. has a mercury blood level above the level deemed safe by the EPA.

These are not children exposed to mercury (unless you live in a sterile bubble, everyone is exposed to some level of mercury), but children who acquired enough mercury through their mother during pregnancy so that their cord blood levels register higher than the maximum safe level of 3.5 parts per billion.

Ironically, nearly two months later, not only do many other US federal agencies lag behind the EPA in noting this change from 320K to 630K, most don't seem to have gotten the memo of the 300K number.

From the USGS:

The National Research Council, in its 2000 report on the toxicological effects of methylmercury, pointed out that the population at highest risk is the offspring of women who consume large amounts of fish and seafood. The report went on to estimate that more than 60,000 children are born each year at risk for adverse neurodevelopmental effects due to in utero exposure to methylmercury.

From the National Academy own website:

Based on an analysis of available data that included exposure levels to methylmercury and food-consumption surveys, the committee said the majority of Americans are at low risk of adverse health effects. However, the committee estimated that each year about 60,000 children may be born in the United States with neurological problems that could lead to poor school performance because of exposure to methylmercury in utero.

Before the February announcement by the EPA that many women were essentially walking thermometers, the FDA half-heartedly issued "advisories" over certain fish with traditionally high mercury levels, e.g., king mackerel, tilefish, swordfish and shark. Since it's pretty certain that more than 8% of the female population is not dining on these particular fish more than twice a week, pressure mounted on the FDA to do more. It's been known for years that large albacore tuna, the kind favored by the likes of Starkist and Chicken of the Sea, was also high in mercury, but the FDA was not willing go up against the powerful commercial fishing lobby, so no tuna advisories were issued. In a report released last summer, the Mercury Policy Project expressed concerns,

that FDA is not taking precautions to protect public health, but is instead protecting the $1 billion per year US tuna industry. Canned tuna is consumed in 90 percent of U.S. households, and accounts for 25-35 percent of all fish consumption in the country. The tuna industry has publicly stated that it believes any mention of canned tuna in the FDA fish consumer advisory for sensitive populations would result in a 24 percent decline in sales.

On March 18th, the FDA added a half-assed gesture conceding some concern over albacore. It suggested that pregnant and nursing women and children limit their albacore tuna consumption to 6 ounces or less. Problem is, even this amount is too high. Studies indicate that canned albacore averages 0.358 micrograms mercury per gram, close to the limit for a 200 lb person. But for children and fetuses, the amount is still way too high.

But the lobbyists of the commercial fishing industry are not alone to blame for the pressure for FDA to look the other way; Coal fired power plants are responsible for 40% of mercury emissions for human sources. The technology to reduce mercury emissions by 90% is now available and while not outrageously expensive, would still cut into Big Energy's bottom line. Besides, why do anything at all when you have your hand-picked cronies in power at all levels of the current Administration?

The rate of neurological and developmental disabilities in children has reached epidemic proportions in the last decades. While many families with affected children have looked towards the mercury in vaccines and dental fillings as the culprit, recent research has indicated that more accessible sources of methylmercury might play some part as well. Ironically, at the same time when Occam's Razor directs us to look for simple solutions, BigPharma consistently funds science which points to more "sexy", but less reasonable alterations in human genetic make-up.

But the lack of true public alarm is of serious concern. If one out of every six children were suddenly born with six toes, or missing limbs, it's hard to imagine there not being a million parents on the Mall demanding action from Congress. Mercury is one of the most toxic substances known to man, and an unacceptable percentage of our babies are now born with levels believed to be dangerous (problem is, so little research has been done on mercury, we don't even really know what level is in fact safe - just what level seems to be obviously harmful.)

So what can you do? Other than calling Congress, you can demand that your local legislators and city/town leaders take action. California now requires supermarkets warn women and children about the dangers of mercury consumption. Every state should do the same - if your state doesn't, start with your city. Check your schools to see that they're not serving albacore tuna to students more than once a month, or have them switch to "light chunk" tuna, which has considerably less.

Make a ruckus over this Administration's environmental policies; if you don't think it affects you, check out this graph, courtesy of the EPA:

Though, don't feel too secure if you live in a white state; the EPA fish advisory program is notoriously underfunded. There may be no advisory, because there have been no tests for years.

Posted by MB Williams at April 5, 2004 09:29 AM | TrackBack