Mercury in our Water and the Fish

Mercury a substance known to cause birth defects, is able to damage the nervous system, and can cause learning disabilities has been shown in results of federal study in fish widespread. The Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, and Louisiana have been found to be the states with the highest levels of mercury contamination in their “blackwater streams”. Certainly all fish have traces of mercury contamination but only a quarter of the fish have high concentration that exceeds the Environmental Protection Agency.

Andrew Rypel a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Mississippi said that research has shown that Mercury has been found in fish from isolated areas of Alaska and Canada and even species that live in deep Ocean. On Wednesday 19 a federal study released information on tested fish from 300 streams across the U.S. Mercury was found in every fish sampled, the results showed how widespread is the issue of contamination of the fish.

What is the source causing the Mercury contamination through out the nation? One cause is gold mining. Through out the fish tested the most tainted and highly concentrated fish was a smallmouth bass that was found in Carson River in Nevada an area that was “tainted” with mercury because of gold mining. 58 other streams mostly in the West that have acidic conditions cause by mining could also contribute to the mercury levels. All states except Alaska and Wyoming have issued a fish consumption advisories because of the contamination.

The Obama administration said, earlier this year, that they had begun drafting new regulations to control the emission of Mercury. The administration is attacking power plants after the court appealed plans that were drafted by the Bush administration that favor industry. The Bush drafting would of let power plants buy and sell pollution credits instead of putting a restriction to mercury pollution. Obama is doing a good job on attacking the issues in the U.S. and nationwide. He is not only attacking the political issues but also environmental issues. Yay Obama.