I think the individuals that live really long are usually from Okinawa, but the average seems to be higher on the ‘mainland’.

I own a copy of the book “The Okinawan Diet,” which presents findings of the long running Okinawa Centenarian Study in the first few chapters. According to the book, longevity in Japan increases as one moves from north to south. The principal reason given in the book is dietary differences: Okinawans have access to fresh produce year-round while Japanese in Hokkaido consume high amounts of salted fish, pickled vegetables, salty soy sauce and miso; a diet high in sodium can cause high blood pressure in salt-sensitive people. Heart attacks are rare, but strokes are common among Asians. Another possible reason for the longevity difference not specifically mentioned in the book is the benefits of sunshine. High levels of naturally synthesized vitamin D are strongly correlated with reduced risks of many diseases, including cancers and heart disease.

I think the individuals that live really long are usually from Okinawa, but the average seems to be higher on the ‘mainland’. In especially now more than ever, in Okinawa it seems like all they do is eat super salty pork and drink lots of alcohol.

Maybe the Japanese life span will go down though, I think it is already on the decline actually.

Well I don’t see terrapin on their mercury list, so you know what that means… ^^

Mmmmm turtle! Get in ma bellay! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turtle_soup

The point is that while atmospheric mercury is soley the fault of mankind, mercury is naturally sloshing around in our ocean and sitting in our soil. Of course, mercury in the air will eventually find its way into the oceans. No one denies this, but its more of a fact that thats where it is naturally as well.

maybe this link will help:
http://www.crwi.org/textfiles/mercury.htm

At this point it becomes an issue of how much atmospheric Hg is affecting the levels of oceanic Hg. For that you can refer to my previous science daily link I provided, which states that when tuna from 2003 is compared with that since 1964, there is no increase in the amount of mercury detected. This coud lead one to concluded that the effect from atmospheric Hg is close to negligible due to the current volume of mercury that is naturally there to begin with.

You seem to be correct that coal has a lot of Hg in it, coal being organic in nature one wonders how the mercury got there in the first place. Evidently plants also have mercury in then, in some cases more than fish (take that vegans!). Except they leached it from the soil. So millions of years ago plants leached Hg from the soil, they died, were covered up, decomposed, changed with preasure into coal, which we dig up and burn rereleasing mercury only for it to be reabsorbed back into the … oceans and soil such is live. Barring better methods to direct measure the levels fo mercury in the ocean, I guess we won’t know for sure.

The Wallstreet Journal entry was a real eye opener. The effects of one pack can a day of tuna could cause terminal illness in anyone, within the course of a year. What’s far more deplorable is how “big tuna” is targeting our children (and pregnant women!) with colorful cartoon charters like “Charlie the tuna”, “starfish”, and “bumble bee”, and fool everyone into thinking that processed alternatives are “junk food”. Obviously we need a surgeon generals warning on each can of tuna, and force them to include a picture of some deranged handi-tard with mercury poisoning on the lid, just so the consumers will know what they are getting with each can. Finally we will have to tax it so that we can combat the effects of second hand mercury poisoning coursing through our sanitation systems.

(the article wasn’t bad, but its hard to parody something that parodies itself, esp. around “his brain food” and “Industry Marketing” I couldn’t help laughing)

Considering how much crap was dumped into the seas by every nation at some point in time, I do take mercury levels into consideration, though that doesn’t stop me from gorging on tuna sushi every so often.

Also, from what I can recall, mercury poisoning doesn’t directly affect the longevity of a persons life. Wikipedia says it, “Symptoms typically include sensory impairment (vision, hearing, speech), disturbed sensation and a lack of coordination.” From my experience with Japanese students, maybe the mercury is already quite in their systems already…

http://www.chelationtherapyonl.....l/p112.htm

“…does not address the distinction between atmospheric mercury and oceanic mercury, the former is clearly linked to manmade pollution, the later not.”

Aren’t heavy metals (to include mercury) usually present in coal? And if coal powerplant emissions aren’t “scrubbed” at the source (as is the case with most coal powerplants?) aren’t these heavy metals are therefore going up the chimney, into the atmosphere, and eventually settling out onto the world’s oceans?

There may also be mercury runoff into the world’s oceans from anywhere there is “wildcat” hard rock gold mining going on — given the traditional use of mercury to separate gold from the ore.