That daily tuna fish sandwich could be a silent killer.

Now, that may be a little dramatic. But it’s part of the message Charles Driscoll, professor of environmental systems engineering at Syracuse University, spreads in the new Public Broadcasting Service documentary ‘Call of the Loons.’

Driscoll has studied mercury levels in lakes across the United States since the late 1980s. In ‘Call of the Loons,’ he and other scientists from New York examine how mercury contamination in the Adirondack watershed harms wildlife, especially a fish-eating waterfowl called the loon.

The loons are at the top of the food chain, live long lives and primarily eat fish, making them perfect for studying how mercury affects both wildlife and humans.

Mercury is a naturally-occurring element that can neither be created nor destroyed by humans. It can be found in hard rocks, such as coal. Most of the mercury ingested by wildlife or humans comes from consuming fish that lived in a contaminated body of water.

‘Mercury is a very potent neurotoxin,’ Driscoll said. ‘It’s a very widespread problem. It’s even more a problem for people who like to eat fish.’

‘Call of the Loons’ will air on WCNY, the Syracuse-area PBS station, on Tuesday at 9 p.m. It premiered in the Adirondack region this summer after being taped there starting in the summer of 2005.

The documentary revolves around the work of the Adirondack Cooperative Loon Program. Nina Schoch, coordinator of the ACLP, said the film increases awareness of mercury contamination, especially the problems prevalent in the Northeastern United States.

The issue stems from coal-fired power plants, which release mercury into the water stream. These kinds of plants are unregulated in the United States and Canada, although New York state did pass legislation dealing with mercury pollution this summer, Schoch said. Acid rain also exacerbates mercury pollution, raising the acidity and the level of contamination in the water.

When mercury flows into a body of water, it can contaminate fish in that water. Any wildlife or person to eat the fish will also ingest a small amount of mercury.

At high levels, the mercury could be harmful. Since loons’ diets consist mainly of fish, they consume high levels of mercury. The poison changes loons’ behaviors and ability to reproduce and could lead to a decline in population.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, symptoms of mercury poisoning include muscle weakness, skin rashes, mood swings and memory loss. It is especially important for pregnant women to monitor the amount of fish they eat because high levels of mercury could cause brain damage to the fetus. Driscoll said 44 of the 50 states have advisories involving mercury-contaminated fish.

So while one tuna fish sandwich every once and a while won’t be harmful, it’s best not to eat one everyday.

‘Eating fish is generally good, but not every day,’ Driscoll said. ‘Moderation is good, like once every month or week. It’s an important issue, particularly for women. Hopefully, (the film) will raise awareness.’

Mountain Lake PBS produced ‘Call of the Loon.’ The station is located about 30 minutes from the Canadian border in the Adirondack town of Plattsburgh, and its management felt the station’s viewers would benefit from some education about the environmental situation occurring in the area.

Mountain Lake PBS has distributed the documentary nationwide, and Stephanie Pfaff, the station’s director of communications, said she hopes the film can raise environmental awareness across the United States.

‘We want to use our airtime to educate,’ she said. ‘This is very much pertinent to our community. We’ve gotten a lot of response. And it’s not just an Adirondacks issue.’

And the problem is not with just ingesting the mercury. Schoch stressed that humans are also the ones creating the problem. With continued study of mercury contamination and the publicity from the documentary, Schoch said she hopes people will stop polluting before the problems become worse.

‘Mercury doesn’t just affect wildlife,’ she said. ‘It affects people too. People are the cause of a lot of pollution. It’s important to keep where we live healthy so we can live healthy.’

Published on November 16, 2006 at 12:00 pm