BRUSSELS, Dec. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- New
reports released today show widespread global mercury contamination
of seafood and health effects from methylmercury in seafood
occurring below the level that was considered "safe" just a
few years ago. The Zero Mercury Working Group (ZMWG) [1], in
cooperation with the Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI) [2], is
facilitating the release of the three reports.
"The level of mercury in the Pacific Ocean is projected to
increase by 50% by 2050 if current pollution trends continue
unabated," said Michael Bender,
ZMWG co-coordinator. "This is a wake-up call for all governments
to stem the rising tide of mercury pollution and finalize a strong
treaty."
The new scientific findings are to be presented at the start of
the fifth and final round of United Nations negotiations to put in
place a legally binding global treaty to reduce mercury use and
pollution. The legal text negotiated by the Intergovernmental
Negotiating Committee is expected to be completed on
18 January 2013 in Geneva, Switzerland.
"The latest science points to the need for strict reduction
measures to address the global mercury crisis," said Elena
Lymberidi-Settimo, co-coordinator of ZMWG at the European
Environment Bureau in Brussels,
Belgium.
Other key science findings include the following:
- Larger predatory fish—such as swordfish, shark and certain
species of tuna— are often listed in national fish consumption
advisories due to higher mercury concentrations. Different seafood
varieties can differ by at least 100-fold in their average mercury
content.
- Seafood regularly consumed by people contains mercury
concentrations that commonly exceed "safe" levels (based upon US
EPA standards). However, there are also plenty of low mercury
seafood alternatives with high omega 3 benefits;
- Several recent epidemiological studies clearly show that the
consumption of ordinary amounts of fish can cause an unsafe risk to
the developing foetus and children, suggesting that the current
health exposure tolerance levels should be revised to reflect the
latest scientific findings; and
- BRI's Global Biotic Mercury Synthesis (GBMS) project provides a
standardized and comprehensive database that can be used to
identify mercury data gaps, describe areas where further research
is needed, and evaluate the effectiveness of the future global
mercury treaty.
"We believe it is crucial to understand global baseline
mercury concentrations in order to make appropriate decisions on
how to evaluate the effectiveness of the treaty," David C. Evers, Ph.D., executive director of BRI
and a member of the UNEP Fate and Transport Partnership Group.
[1] Zero Mercury Working Group; www.zeromercury.org
[2] Biodiversity Research Institute's ;
www.briloon.org
SOURCE Zero Mercury Working Group