Post Date December, 03 2023
Reproductive research experts remind the public that shark fins are susceptible to mercury pollution. Eating shark fins with high levels of mercury can lead to infertility, so it's better to eat them with caution. Eating more shark fins may lead to male infertility.
There is no direct evidence that eating mercury containing shark fin will lead to male and female infertility, but indirect evidence is very obvious. Mercury does damage testes and ovaries, cause damage to male and female germ cell, reduce embryo development rate, and have the risk of fertility reduction.
Shark fin mercury pollution is mainly nail based mercury pollution, and methyl mercury has a strong reproductive toxicity.
The emission and pollution of industrial waste mercury are relatively serious worldwide. As early as 1995, the World Health Organization estimated that 10000 tons of mercury are discharged into the environment every year, of which 50% enters the ocean. In the past decade, with the industrialization process, marine pollution will only become increasingly severe. The waters of the fishing area are polluted, and aquatic animal living in the fishing area are also polluted, especially sharks, which are more vulnerable to pollution.
Why are sharks susceptible to mercury pollution and have higher levels of mercury in their bodies than other fish?
Sharks are one of the longest lived fish in the ocean, and their long lifespan means that they have been exposed to polluted areas for a long time and can accumulate mercury for a long time. Meanwhile, the metabolic rate of sharks is low, and the excretion of mercury entering the body is very slow, meaning that the mercury content in the body can be maintained for a long time. In addition, the shark itself is a carnivore fish. Large fish eat small fish and eat other contaminated fish for a long time, resulting in biological enrichment and amplification, which aggravates its own pollution. In mercury polluted waters, the mercury concentration in the water is 0.0001 milligrams per kilogram. Small fish can accumulate mercury of 0.2-0.5 milligrams per kilogram, while sharks can reach 1-5 milligrams per kilogram, which is 50000 times higher than mercury in the water! Mercury not only accumulates in the muscles of sharks, but also is more likely to accumulate in the fins of shark limbs, and the older and older the shark, the more mercury may accumulate in the fins.
The damage of mercury to the reproductive system has been scientifically determined. Animal experiments have proved that methylmercury can accumulate in mouse testicular tissue, inhibit the enzymes involved in energy metabolism in spermatid, reduce the DNA synthesis of spermatid, lead to a decrease in the number of sperm, an increase in deformed sperm, and a decrease in fertilization rate, which means a decrease in fertility. In addition, surveys of occupational mercury exposure populations have also found that high levels of mercury in men's blood or semen are closely related to reduced fertility.
Pursue delicacy, but also ensure safety. Experts suggest eating contaminated shark fins with caution
(Intern Editor: Cai Junyi)
