Heavy Metal Sucks! (was Dancin with Sharks)

So all this talk about mercury sent me out into the ether to polk around to find some "facts" to scare myself with. I found plenty. Not only is Methylmercury bad, it can work in synergy with other heavy metals to be REALLLY bad.  That shiz ain't nothin to play with.

My buddy that I introduced to yak fishing and who introduced me to eating Blacktips, had been dragging a bit ever since we went out two weeks ago. Just generally kinda lethargic. The Monday, after we were on the water Saturday and Sunday, he did not come in to work at all. He does not miss work.... ever.

He couldn't get out of bed that day and slept in. (That does not happen) He also had a hard time breathing and almost went to the ER, but he didn't.  We chalked it to the smoke from wildfires that are pretty much surrounding Jax right not (at times the visibility was less than a half mile on the water because of it), that and we are old  farts. But pedaling around vigorously in that crap can't possibly be good for you. So he scheduled an appointment.

 Mean while,  Bsteves sent me a link that essentially said that Blacktips suck up Hg at a ridiculous rate, but it was anecdotal as the sample was too small. I sent it to Mike and he mentioned that and his affinity for sharks to his Dr. who ordered some blood-work. That was last Monday. He called me this morning with the results.

Heavy metal toxicity. The Hg was not too bad, but Cadmium was waaay high and Aluminum was well past toxic levels.

His Dr. (who's a fisherman too) said don't even think about eating any of the sharks that he had pictures of. Nothing over 36" and once a month at that. (Bsteves calcs say that's about 6 months old). The fairly good news is that, even though it builds up quickly, it should pass out through his sweat relatively quickly, and he should return to normal presently (some of those obnoxious behaviors may cease as well) maybe not    



The one we ate last week









Last year (both pics are the same fish)

Wow that does suck.  I haven't been exposed to that much metal since I blacked out at the Krokus, Blackfoot, Twisted Sister dusk to dawn metalpalooza at Red Rocks back in the late 80's.  Hope he feels better soon.

Know someone with a infa-red (sp) sauna do a turn in it and wipe off with white towel. Guy from work says towel will show junk you sweated out and alot of it is heavy metal when you start.

Pink Floyd '72 Or was it Jimi in'69 Guess I had way too much shiz before Heavy Metal. That's nasty. Too much of that and you'll be "Sleeping with the fish".

Glad to hear everyone is ok.

Sorry to sound preachy but lets hope this story is a lesson for everyone (myself included) that health advisories about eating fish need to be taken seriously.

Wali, hope your buddy makes a good and full recovery and his doc does the "due dilligence" thing and follows up... aluminum in those amounts usually settles in the lungs , cadmium in the brain and liver. he's probably going to need to be toxicity tested at least one a quarter for a very long time. hopefully no organ biospies.

Glad to hear everyone is ok.

Sorry to sound preachy but lets hope this story is a lesson for everyone (myself included) that health advisories about eating fish need to be taken seriously.

http://public.health.oregon.gov/healthyenvironments/recreation/pages/fishadvisories.aspx