An interesting tidbit of information came from the National Science Foundation last week when a new study slated to be published in a forthcoming science journal “Ecotoxicology,” revealed information concerning the levels of mercury in fish.
We all know, or at least we should, that mercury, a toxic chemical that occurs naturally, is heightened by emissions from factories that operate along our riverbanks. Higher levels of the chemical are found in larger fish species, where it is stored in the muscle. Larger fish consume smaller fish, which adds to the mercury buildup in fish predators, such as largemouth bass, tuna and shellfish.
New findings by a research team out of North Carolina University has found that mercury levels in fish living near coal-fired power plants are lower than those of fish living 30 kilometers – or just over 18 miles – away from the plants. Fish living further away, it was discovered had more than three times the amount of mercury than those living closer.
Read the complete story from Trib Today.