The Texas Department of State Health Services has issued an advisory warning consumers not to consume blue marlin caught in all waters off the Texas coast. And they said that women of childbearing age and children under the age of 12 should not eat swordfish caught off the Texas coast. The fish have unsafe levels of mercury. Testing revealed that the fish from the northwestern Gulf of Mexico had mercury at concentrations above the DSHS health guidelines of no more than 0.7 mg/kg. The blue marlin mercury levels were 12.9 mg/kg, more than 18 times the recommended limit. The levels in swordfish were 1.18 mg/kg, more than 1.6 times the recommended levels. Mercury is a naturally occurring element that can cause birth defects and harm to the central nervous system. Symptoms of prolonged … [Read more...]
Study Confirms Oil from Deepwater Horizon Disaster Entered Food Chain
A new study has confirmed that oil from the April 20, 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster has entered the food chain in the Gulf of Mexico. The study was led by East Carolina University along with the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Georgia Institute of Technology, and U.S. Geological Survey. Food Poisoning Bulletin reported more than two months ago that senators from the Gulf states wanted the FDA to stress that food from the Gulf of Mexico was safe to eat. Consumers groups questioned that determination for several reasons, including the amount of seafood consumed by the groups studied. The well was capped on July 15, 2010, three months after the explosion. Oil from every well has a unique "fingerprint". Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are … [Read more...]
