Mercury Contamination Found In Fish Nationwide

Mercury was detected in every fish sampled in 291 streams across the country in a U.S. Geological Survey study released Aug. 19.

Nearly a quarter of the fish contained mercury at levels above the amount the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers safe for people who eat an average amount of fish, USGS said. The study also reveals an alarming risk to mammals that eat fish.

“This study shows just how widespread mercury pollution has become in our air, watersheds, and many of our fish in freshwater streams,” said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. “This science sends a clear message that our country must continue to confront pollution, restore our nation’s waterways, and protect the public from potential health dangers.”

The study found high levels of mercury in fish in “blackwater” streams in North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Louisiana, undeveloped watersheds in the Northeast and the Upper Midwest, and in areas of the Western United States affected by mining.

Mercury is a neurotoxin that seriously threatens U.S. waterways, USGS says. The main source of mercury to natural waters is mercury that is emitted to the atmosphere and deposited onto watersheds by precipitation. However, atmospheric mercury is not the only source. Each state has a mercury monitoring program, while the EPA also monitors mercury emissions. In early 2009, EPA said it would control airborne emissions of mercury from coal-fired power plants under the Clean Air Act. -Vivi Gorman/greenandsave