Students Chowing Downwardly Tuna Inward Dining Halls Are Unaware Of Mercury Exposure Risks

A surprising number of students eating inwards academy dining halls direct keep been helping themselves to servings of tuna good beyond the amounts recommended to avoid consuming likewise much mercury, a toxic heavy metal.
Researchers at UC Santa Cruz surveyed students exterior of campus dining halls on their tuna consumption habits in addition to noesis of mercury exposure risks, in addition to also measured the mercury levels inwards pilus samples from the students. They found that pilus mercury levels were closely correlated amongst how much tuna the students said they ate. And for roughly students, their pilus mercury measurements were to a higher house what is considered a "level of concern."
"It doesn't necessarily hateful that they would travel experiencing toxic effects, only it's a flat at which it's recommended to endeavor to lower your mercury exposure," said Myra Finkelstein, an associate adjunct professor of environmental toxicology at UC Santa Cruz. "Our results were consistent amongst other studies of mercury levels inwards pilus from people who eat a lot of fish."
Tuna in addition to other large fish comprise important amounts of mercury inwards its most toxic degree (methylmercury), in addition to exposure to high levels of methylmercury tin travail neurological damage. Because of its effects on neurological evolution in addition to reproductive health, concerns nigh mercury exposure are greatest for meaning women in addition to children. Finkelstein said college students should also confine their exposure to mercury because their nervous systems are even in addition to then developing in addition to they are of reproductive age.
She said the study was prompted yesteryear her experiences instruction students nigh mercury inwards the environs in addition to hearing nigh how much tuna roughly students eat. "I've been dumbfounded when students direct keep told me they eat tuna every day," Finkelstein said. "Their lack of noesis nigh the direct chances of exposure to mercury is surprising."
Graduate pupil Yasuhiko Murata led the study in addition to is offset writer of a newspaper on their findings, which has been accepted for publication inwards Environmental Toxicology in addition to Chemistry in addition to is available online. In the surveys, nigh a 3rd of students reported weekly tuna consumption, in addition to fourscore pct of their tuna meals were at the campus dining halls, where tuna is regularly available from the salad bar. Half of the tuna eaters reported eating 3 or to a greater extent than tuna meals per week, potentially exceeding the "reference dose" established yesteryear the U.S. of America Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), considered a maximum condom flat (0.1 micrograms of methylmercury per kilogram of torso weight per day).
Before the results were published, Finkelstein discussed her team's findings amongst UCSC administrators who oversee the dining halls. New signs inwards the campus dining halls volition right away plough over students data nigh mercury inwards tuna in addition to guidelines for fish consumption. Other changes may travel made afterward a to a greater extent than thorough assessment, said William Prime, executive manager of dining services.
Finkelstein said this number could travel a delineate organization for all kinds of institutions amongst dining halls, peculiarly those serving children, such every bit boarding schools. "Any fourth dimension you lot direct keep a dining hall province of affairs where people are helping themselves, roughly residents may travel eating vogue likewise much tuna," she said.
Nearly all fish comprise roughly mercury, only tuna, peculiarly the larger species, are known to accumulate relatively high levels of the toxic metal. Consumers are advised to eat no to a greater extent than than 2 to 3 servings per calendar week of low-mercury fish (including skipjack in addition to tongol tuna, ofttimes labeled "chunk light") or ane serving per calendar week of fish amongst higher levels of mercury (including albacore in addition to yellowish fin tuna).
Some of the students surveyed at UC Santa Cruz reported having to a greater extent than than xx servings of tuna per week. The researchers analyzed the mercury content of the tuna beingness served inwards the dining halls, collecting samples periodically over several months, in addition to found that the mercury content was variable, amongst roughly samples having 5 times every bit much mercury every bit others.
"Some chunk lite tuna was genuinely quite high inwards mercury, although typically it has alone one-half or one-third every bit much every bit albacore," Finkelstein said.
The researchers calculated that, to remain below the EPA reference dose, a 140-pound soul could eat upwards to 2 meals per calendar week of the lower-mercury tuna only less than ane repast per calendar week of the higher-mercury tuna.
After conducting an initial survey in addition to pilus analysis, the researchers conducted a minute survey amongst to a greater extent than detailed questions designed to probe students' noesis nigh mercury inwards tuna in addition to recommended consumption rates. Whether they were tuna eaters or not, most students had real lilliputian noesis nigh this issue, Finkelstein said. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 bulk of students answered that it is condom to eat 2 to 3 times every bit much tuna per calendar week every bit is recommended.
"It was non a large sample size, only alone ane out of 107 students surveyed had a high flat of noesis every bit good every bit confidence inwards that knowledge, in addition to then I mean value it's of import to furnish students amongst to a greater extent than data nigh condom levels of tuna consumption," she said.
Recommendations regarding consumption of tuna in addition to other fish are complicated yesteryear the fact that fish is highly nutritious in addition to contains beneficial omega-3 obese acids in addition to other nutrients. In addition, mercury concentrations vary widely amid unlike types of fish. The U.S. of America Food in addition to Drug Administration in addition to EPA direct keep issued advice on eating fish for meaning women, parents, in addition to caregivers of immature children.
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