Mercury Levels in Shark Fins Illegal and Dangerous to Human Health
Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:
Florida International University [(FiU)] marine biology Ph.D. student Laura Garcia Barcia-collaborating with a team from the United States and Hong Kong-conducted the first study measuring levels of toxic mercury in shark fins sold in Asian markets. The team found the samples all had staggeringly high amounts of mercury that are dangerous to human health-far surpassing guidelines and legal limits set by the Hong Kong Center for Food Safety.
"The results were astonishing," Garcia Barcia said. "The mercury levels are super high and, on average, 6 to 10 times higher than what a safe level of mercury would be considered in Hong Kong."
The team examined 267 shark fin trimmings from the[sic] nine of the most common shark species in the fin trade, testing each one for levels of total mercury and methyl-mercury-the organic, highly toxic form of mercury. The concentrations in each shark fin sampled for this study exceeded the maximum legal limit in Hong Kong of 0.5 parts per million.
The highest of 55.52 parts per million came from a great hammerhead. The lowest level found in the fins sampled was 0.02 parts per million from a blue shark-the most common species found in the trade.
[...] FIU marine scientist Demian Chapman, co-author of the study, said exceeding these limits isn't just a health concern-it's actually illegal. The Hong Kong Food Adulteration Legislation states anyone who sells a food product with levels above the legal limit can face fines and criminal charges.
[...] "Not every human cares about eating an animal that's endangered. But every human is worried about their health," Chapman said. "That could be a very powerful driver of change in the future."
More information: Laura Garcia Barcia et al. Mercury and arsenic in processed fins from nine of the most traded shark species in the Hong Kong and China dried seafood markets: The potential health risks of shark fin soup, Marine Pollution Bulletin (2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111281
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