Mercury Levels Rise Seen in Yellowfin Tuna
If you are a Tuna lover, consider eating less of Yellowfin Tuna, commonly used in Sashimi, as a new study shows increasing accumulation of mercury in the fish species found in Pacific waters.
The study showed that mercury levels in Yellowfin Tuna increased by 3.8 percent every year between 1998 and 2008. Mercury was found to be present in the form of methyl mercury. The study is first to conclusively say that rise in mercury levels due to human activity like use of coal power plants, is affecting open ocean fish, LA Times reported.
"Mercury levels are increasing globally in ocean water, and our study is the first to show a consequent increase in mercury in an open-water fish. More stringent policies are needed to reduce releases of mercury into the atmosphere. If current deposition rates are maintained, North Pacific waters will double in mercury by 2050," said Paul Drevnick, the study's lead author, in a news release.
The findings were made based on reanalysis of three past studies done in 1971, 1998 and 2008. Accounting for fish sizes and other factors, researchers found mercury increases in fish between 1998 and 2008 but not prior to 1998, Newsweek reported.
"The take-home message is that mercury in tuna appears to be increasing in lockstep with data and model predictions for mercury concentrations in water in the North Pacific," said Drevnick.
Mercury is a known carcinogenic and its intake can cause brain development defects in children. Methyl mercury found in Yellowfin Tuna is an easily absorbable form of the metal.
