Human activity is adversely affecting the environment & having a negative impact on humankind

HOW MUCH MERCURY IS TOO MUCH? QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS How is mercury exposure measured? Scientists determine a person's exposure to mercury by measuring the content in a strand of hair. By comparing these levels to the results of very sophisticated batteries of tests, scientists try to determine the lowest level that might be harmful. At what level does mercury become harmful? The World Health Organization's guidelines maintain that the lowest level that could possibly be harmful to humans is 5 parts per million (ppm). This level is based on scientific results from the 1960s that placed the level at which risk begins at 50 ppm for most people; WHO then applied a safety factor of 10, deciding that a level of 5 or less is safe for even the most vulnerable populations. Now the University of Rochester team has conducted an extensive study in the Seychelles Islands of the most sensitive population -- young children -- where the average level is about 7 ppm, about 10 times the level of the U.S. population. The scientists found no harm from mercury at levels up to 15 ppm, nearly twice the average Seychelles level and about 20 times higher than the average U.S. level. How do these numbers translate into people's lives? Scientists typically calculate how much mercury a person could ingest each day before bumping up into the danger zone, and then regulatory agencies issue advisories based on those numbers. In the past, using the WHO guideline, EPA has recommended that a person ingest no more than 30 micrograms of mercury per day. Based on estimates of U.S. fish consumption, FDA recommended that only commercial fish with less than 1 ppm of mercury be sold. Nearly all fish caught in the oceans meet this criterion Link to complete report: HOW MUCH MERCURY IS TOO MUCH? QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS How is mercury exposure measured? Scientists determine a person's exposure to mercury by measuring the content in a strand of hair. By comparing these levels to the results of very sophisticated batteries of tests, scientists try to determine the lowest level that might be harmful. At what level does mercury become harmful? The World Health Organization's guidelines maintain that the lowest level that could possibly be harmful to humans is 5 parts per million (ppm). This level is based on scientific results from the 1960s that placed the level at which risk begins at 50 ppm for most people; WHO then applied a safety factor of 10, deciding that a level of 5 or less is safe for even the most vulnerable populations. Now the University of Rochester team has conducted an extensive study in the Seychelles Islands of the most sensitive population -- young children -- where the average level is about 7 ppm, about 10 times the level of the U.S. population. The scientists found no harm from mercury at levels up to 15 ppm, nearly twice the average Seychelles level and about 20 times higher than the average U.S. level. How do these numbers translate into people's lives? Scientists typically calculate how much mercury a person could ingest each day before bumping up into the danger zone, and then regulatory agencies issue advisories based on those numbers. In the past, using the WHO guideline, EPA has recommended that a person ingest no more than 30 micrograms of mercury per day. Based on estimates of U.S. fish consumption, FDA recommended that only commercial fish with less than 1 ppm of mercury be sold. Nearly all fish caught in the oceans meet this criterion Link to complete report: http://www.rochester.edu... I have put mercury levels into context. If you are still making the claim that you can't eat fish without being poisoned by contaminants using this first site that you provided you are looking pretty foolish right now. Did you even read this or do you just look for the words don't eat the fish and use that as your hard core facts when it come to contaminants. All fish advisories are based on "total detectable mercury levels" that is to say it does not differentiate between different types of mercury compounds toxic or not. That's right, some mercury compounds are completely harmless to humans yet they are included anyway. Just so you know, my area isn't even on the advisory. As a matter of fact Florida is one of the lowest on the chart for fish advisories. This site also gives no data. It gives nothing in the way of levels. Here is a site that gives data about mercury levels in fish. http://www.cfsan.fda.gov... I will ask you to refer back to where I put levels into context. As you can see from the above link none of the fish even exceed es FDA guide lines for being toxic. Here is how to mislead people such as yourself. Some fish are prone to have less detectable mercury levels than others. Shrimp and shell fish being the least and big game fish being the most. The age and size of fish also come into play. Big game fish get a rating of "high levels" because they tend to have higher detectable levels than other fish. So you and the unsuspecting public think they are toxic because you see the words "high levels" When in reality the highest levels are well within the safe range by a long shot. None of the fish on this chart are above 5ppm and you can go as high as 50ppm if you limit your consumption of a fish with a reading this high. Your next site about the beaches. Local Pollution problems. Your last site about transmitting pollution world wide, I don't deny that there is pollution what in question is how bad is it. And unfortunately we will never get a truthful answer if people like you are in charge of interpreting data and giving out information to the public. You have an environmental extremist view point and will continue to stick your head in the sand when it comes to the true facts about pollution, how to solve it in problem areas and it's actual threat level.