Just over a decade ago, Leslyn Joseph was warned that mercury in her body was at dangerous levels. Tests had revealed that a high percentage of persons assessed within her community, Isseneru, had levels almost double the reference level for humans.
“They tell me I had high mercury. They stop me from eating too much of fish,” Joseph, now 26 and pregnant with her fifth child, recounted to Stabroek News in the Region Seven (Cuyuni/Mazaruni) community last week. The results from the studies which were funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) through the Guyana Environmental Capacity Development Project (GENCAPD) showed that 89% to 96% of the population surveyed in Isseneru had dangerous levels of mercury contamination as examined by its presence in human hair. Based on advice from health officials, Joseph said that she subsequently ate less fish.
From using fish three or more times a week, Joseph said that