Effects of Mercury Contaminated Fish on Consumer’s Health Essay Example for Free

Effects of atomic number 80 Contaminated Fish on Consumers wellness EssayMercury is an element that comes naturally in nature, or manufactured by humankind. It comes in assorted forms. According to the New Jersey Department of health, hectogram may be found as bronze hectogram, a kind of silver-gray liquid that is harmful when exposed into the air and hard in methyl hectogram, which may be ingested by eat fish inorganic quicksilver which raise be found in nonprescription(prenominal) drugs, batteries, and other pharmaceuticals, and is harmful when breathed in or swallowed and phenyl hectogram in household products like paints, cosmetics and toiletries and is harmful when breathed in, swallowed or passed through the skin (Kapsch, et. al, 1999). This paper delves into the mercury and its harmful effects on the fish creation and ultimately, adverse effects on human health.Mercury in the Environment As noned above, mercury is found naturally in the surroundings. capit al of Minnesota Kapsch, Matt Landi and Sarah Scwartz writes that natural incidents and accidents like forest fires and volcanic eruptions puke mercury into the air (1999). The raw(a) Resource Defense Council adds that power plants and certain chemicals manufacturers, as well as other industrial facilities release mercury into the air through their daily operations. The released mercury eventually ends up in the waterways and oceans. Fish in these eco ashess ingest the mercury, which people, in turn ingest by eating the fish. (NRDC, 2006). Mercury is overly present in many things that one has at home like fluorescent and northeastward lamps, mercury switches in chest freezes, thermostat probes, thermometers, barometers and other gauges, laboratory solutions and even dental amalgam (Kapsch, et. al, 1999). Paul Kapsch and his partners outlined the environmental impact of mercury. Citing ExtoxNet (1999), Kapsch, et. al, stated that while mercury enters the environment, minginesss i n the air and atmosphere is generally very low. Mercury, however, is deposited into forest ecosystems where it accumulates in highly toxic forms. Eventually it leads up to aquatic ecosystems, which in about cases contribute to human health problems. The Natural Resource Defense Council added that when mercury enters into the various water systems, bacterium take it in and convert it into a type of methyl mercury, which is considerably absorbed by humans (1999). The NRDC also explained that the mercury then works it way up the food chain as large fish eat smaller pollute fish. Mercury, however, does not break down. Instead it accumulates in fish (1999). To deck the point, the NRDC stated that predatory fishes like sharks and mackerel call for been found to have 10,000 successions higher mercury concentration (1999).How Mercury Enters the Body Mercury can enter the body by breathing it in, swallowing or eating contaminated food, drinking contaminated water , or through the sk in (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 2008). uptake of contaminated fish, however, is one of the most dangerous way of getting mercury in the body since it involves methylmercury, which is easily absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract into a persons bloodstream (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 2008). In 2003, Dr. Jane Hightower, pertain of internal medicine at the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, found that 89% of participating patients had high mercury levels. Most of these participants had as much as four times the sound level of mercury in their blood stream. Participants in Dr. Hightowers study were chosen precisely because of their fish-heavy diets. (NRDC, 2006). Once in the bloodstream, the mercury goes into various parts of the body. Methylmercury in pregnant women gets passed on into the small frys blood stream and then into the childs brain. A nursing mother may pass the methylmercury through breast milk. (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 2008).Health Risks The NRDC says that mercury exposure can be particularly hazardous for pregnant women and small children. The NRDC adds that mercury exposure can lead to cerebral palsy, mental retardation, blindness and deafness in infants and fetuses. Even with a minimal exposure, the child may be delayed in learning how to walk and talk, have low attention twosome and may later on develop learning disabilities (NRDC, 2006). And the numbers are alarming. In July 2005, researchers at the federal official Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 1 in 17 women of childbearing age have more than 5.8 micrograms of mercury per liter of blood. The CDC stated that this level may pose a risk to the underdeveloped child (NRDC, 2006). Mercury-contaminated fish is not just dangerous for children and pregnant women but it is also dangerous for adults (Mercola.Com, 2003). Mercola.Com related that mercury destroys the nerve tissues, the visual cortex and the cerebellum. It affects complex movements and balance. It also leads to problems in attention span and language. It also decreases concentration, deftness and verbal remembering in adults. (Mercola.Com, 2003). For some adults, mercury poisoning can lead to fertility problems and blood pressure regulation problems. It also causes memory loss, vision loss, numbness in the fingers and toes, and tremors. It is suspected that mercury exposure also leads to heart disease (NRDC, 2006). The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry warned that the nervous system is prone to mercury contamination. The Agency said that in this type of mercury poisoning, some people who consumed plant grains and fish contaminated with large amounts of methyl mercury developed severe brain and kidneys legal injury. The Agency explains that mercury accumulates in the kidneys, so it damages it more. (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 2008).* * * The above discussio n shows that consumption of mercury contaminated fish is very dangerous for consumers health, and is a source of different diseases especially in (but not limited to) children and pregnant women. Studies have concluded that mercury poisoning have caused several conditions and diseases from simple memory loss, loss of concentration, fertility problems to something as grave and irreparable as mental retardation and kidney ailments. And studies on the kind between mercury and other, more life-threatening diseases like heart ailments are currently underway. The growing body of evidence all points to some disease that can be traced to mercury poisoning. Consumers have to actively obligate their fish diets. If they are fond of eating fish, they major power find it useful to regularly check and tint for advisories regarding mercury contamination in their area. It is also recommended that they regularly check their own mercury levels and if they found their mercury levels higher they ha ve to consult with their doctors immediately. Since mercury poisoning is more dangerous to pregnant women and small children, it might be best to veer away from eating fish altogether, and take up healthier choices much(prenominal) as vegetables and dairy products. Being more vigilant with regards to ones diet can reap long-term prevention that would help ensure optimum health. Authorities need to take much stronger steps to protect a far greater portion of people. Authorities must examine their antiquated arcticguards designed to protect an honest person from an average amount of methyl mercury in fish and take more safety-related and realistic actions against exposure to methyl mercury through food. Authorities need to constantly update themselves, as safe levels of mercury in the diet are constantly changing. In fact, the trend is that the required safe levels are getting higher with each new research that goes out of the pipeline. Public health authorities, as well as commu nity leaders, or any health-related organization, must come together to inform, educate and appoint the public about the dangers of fish consumption, mercury contamination, and adverse health effects. Information is the best weapon against mercury contamination, without it, no amount of public policy will be sufficient or effective. The public involve to be aware of what mercury does to the body, the diseases associated with it, where mercury could be found, how it gets into your body, what measures are to be done. More than anything, it is high time to look at more efficient ways of disposing all types of mercury. Since mercury could be found in nature, it will be next to impossible to eradicate it. What one could hope for is to reduce environmental damage from the mercury that we can control. If people could somehow take guardianship and reduce the amount of mercury that goes into the environment as waste, people would be protecting not only the oceans and the fish, but also th emselves. Taking care of the environment would ensure sustainability in the future and would drastically decrease mercuryand in fact and principleall types of contamination. In effect, lemniscus or greatly reducing mercury contamination and all the ill effects associated with it takes the effort of everybody in the community, but it starts mainly with your self.ReferencesAgency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (Content source) Sidney Draggan and EmilyMonosson (Topic Editors). 2008. Public Health Statement for Mercury. In Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C. Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth November 13, 2007 defy revised January 24, 2008 Retrieved April 2, 2008. http//www.eoearth.org/article/Public_Health_Statement_for_MercuryJeremy Laurence, (8 March, 2007) Fish Contaminated With Mercury Pose Worldwide Threat toHealth. The Independent. Retrieved on 3 April 2008. http//www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/fish-contaminated-with-mercury-pose-worldwide-threat-to-health-439267.htmlKapsch, Paul, Landi, Matt and Schwartz Sarah. (1999). Mercury. University of Vermont. Retrieved on 3 April 2008. http//www.uvm.edu/vlrs/doc/mercury.htmLearn About Mercury and Its Effects, (2006) Natural Resource Defense Council. Retrieved on23rd March 2008. http//www.nrdc.org/health/effects/mercury/effects.aspMercury-Contaminated Fish Poses Health Risks to Adults, (2003) Mercola.com. Retrieved on25th March, 2008. http//articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2003/06/21/mercury-fish-part-six.aspx