Cicadas Found to be Full of Mercury

[Guest guest]

I hope y'all have been moderating your cicada consumption this spring.

Deanna

http://mercola.com/2004/jun/16/cicadas_mercury.htm

Before you decide to sit down for a side dish of cicadas, you should

think again. Researchers released cautions against eating cicadas

after they found significant levels of mercury in the insects that

they studied from three local communities. Most of the concentration

levels ranged from 0.02 to 0.20 parts per million, however some

exceeded these levels.

Experts warned pregnant women and young children against the

consumption of cicadas and expressed concerns over pregnant women

passing on the toxic effects of mercury into the nervous system of

their unborn children.

Further investigations have been initiated to determine whether the

mercury concentration in the cicadas came from man-made factors or

occurred from natural sources such as soil.

Two scientists completed a study that involved taking measurements of

mercury in cicadas, particularly in areas where there were power

plants. Their goal was to use their method as a type of indicator

that the soil they were in would become polluted.

Researchers cautioned people against eating any kind of insect like

cicadas, which had been dormant underground for 17 years and were the

carriers of heavy metals.

Science Daily June 1, 2004