1/4 Chicago Women Tested Show High Mercury Levels
The results of the nation’s largest mercury hair-sampling project were released today, and the survey found mercury levels exceeding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s recommended limit in one in five women of childbearing age tested across the country, but a higher rate (one in four) of contamination among Chicago-area women of childbearing age who participated in the survey.
As part of the national study, Sierra Club offered free mercury hair tests at Chicago-area salons in September and October of 2005. 104 Chicago-area residents participated in the testing events held in Highland Park, Warrenville, Willowbrook, Joliet, and in the Ravenswood, Bucktown, and Pilsen neighborhoods in Chicago. 53 were women of childbearing age, and 24.5%, or 1 in 4, were found to exceed the limit.
The Chicago-area numbers are not statistically significant, but they are cause for concern. We will continue to offer testings later this Spring to help more people learn their mercury levels, and to continue to increase the sample size in this important study.
More details are available here 
originally posted at IllinoisSierraClub
2 comments:
Larry - it's methylmercury.
Getreal -
It sounds like your mind is made up, but a few responses -
1. We have been very clear that the number of women tested in the Chicago area is not great enough to extrapolate to the entire population. The trend suggested by these initial test is cause for concern, and we do intend to offer future testings to build the data set further.
2. You are correct that Illinois' action in and of itself won't make much of a dent in ocean mercury levels. However, we know that many states are now looking at proposals like Illinois', and Blagojevich making his proposal early in the year may help many other states make similar proposals. Many states banding together to adopt strict limits will start to reduce global mercury. In addition, once the mercury pollution control technology is widely used in Illinois and other states, it will be more attractive to coal plants around the world, further reducing global mercury pollution.
Also, there is a substantial population in Illinois eating fish out of our local lakes and rivers, either from recreational purposes or because it's a way to put meat on the table for some families. We know from other states' experiences (FL and MA are a couple) that in-state cuts in mercury lead to drops in mercury levels in fish and wildlife quickly - within a decade.
Post a Comment