Green Daily

Just in time for the end of summer dining season, the Chicago Tribune reported recently on the results of a study done by the EPA which confirms that women living in coastal areas of the United States are at greater risk of testing for a heightened level of mercury. In the fish-loving Northeast, one in five women of childbearing age test so high for mercury that if they were to get pregnant, there would be a serious risk that their fetus would have developmental disabilities. (Nationwide, one in ten women test at that level.)

Interestingly, affluent women are more likely to display high levels of mercury, possibly because they have the financial wherewithal to buy the more expensive fishies which also have tons of mercury (tuna, swordfish).

The results of the study have some scientists calling for an expanded warning system in which the government would issue advisories on the safety of various seafood, and possibly begin inspecting the seafood before it goes on sale. Of course, the fishing industry is very against this move.