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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
(Score: 4, Interesting) by bzipitidoo on Monday June 01 2020, @03:43AM (4 children)
How did mercury get into the shark fins? The summary doesn't say, but I surmise it has to be industrial pollution. Predation is known to concentrate the kinds of pollutants that linger in the body.
As to this particular pollutant, mercury, usage has declined because it is recognized as toxic. Mercury used to be part of a dental amalgam. Filling cavities with that stuff is, I hear, no big deal to patients. The person who is really in trouble is the dentist, having to work with that stuff all day long. Other popular uses of mercury were thermometers, tilt switches, and fluorescent lights, all of which are fine until broken. Alcohol works fine in thermometers, LEDs have replaced fluorescent lighting, and as for tilt switches, there are lots of other electricity conducting liquids that can be used instead of mercury. Another use of mercury I've heard about is for mining of other heavy metals, especially gold. A final one is as a telescope mirror. Set a big pool of mercury spinning at a steady rate, and it forms a concave shape that is excellent as a mirror.
There are alternatives for all these uses. It's only nations with lax regulations and backwards tech that still employ mercury for any of those uses.
(Score: 3, Funny) by Bot on Monday June 01 2020, @07:17AM
How did mercury get into the shark fins?
Yeah, who vaxxed the sharks? come out, scum.
Account abandoned.
(Score: 2) by Bot on Monday June 01 2020, @07:20AM
some pretty reputable dentists here say ceramic > resins > titanium > mercury
Account abandoned.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 01 2020, @01:16PM
Right, but the trouble is that mercury isn't excreted by the body.
That means, that the shark eats fish that have mercury in them, it builds up in the shark, shark dies, the fish eat the dead shark, the mercury builds back up in the fish.
Its the circlllllllllllllle, the circle of liiiiiiiiiife!
(Score: 1) by khallow on Tuesday June 02 2020, @03:18AM
I wonder if mercury is unusually concentrated in shark fins? That would be a novel biological aspect to this. Reading around, it is well known that sharks accumulate persistent toxins like mercury in their tissues, including cartilage. They aren't a good animal to eat.