A study by US researchers found high levels of mercury in shark meat sold in markets of Heredia and San José.
The study analyzed 170 samples of muscle tissue from sharks and stingrays taken from fish markets. Samples were taken for 5 days in September 2014.
The research was conducted by researchers O’Bryhim Jason and Stacey Lance from George Mason University.
The tissues of the species tested exceeded the normal limits of mercury set by the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States.
O’Bryhim expressed his concern that the meat of “silky” shark makes 70 percent of sales to the public and its levels of mercury pose a hazard to health.
The findings of this research contradict another study by a center of the University of Costa Rica, which concluded that the mercury levels in sharks and rays caught in the country’s sea waters are lower than in other regions of the world.
When mercury concentrates in the human body, it can cause birth defects and seriously affect the development of the nervous system and motor skills of children.
Source: CRhoy.com