And That's The Real Problem

Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth Univ have been studying the various aspects of River Health along portions of the James River, and while they came up with some rather alarming levels of toxins present in the blue crabs taken from the river, what they really discovered was a Political Controversy.  Imagine that.

Richmond Times Dispatch:

State officials say the public is not in danger.

“We do not have any reason to believe that current microcystin levels in the James River present a health threat,” said Rebecca LePrell, the Virginia Department of Health’s director of environmental epidemiology.

 Yeah, but:

(river ecologist Paul) Bukaveckas acknowledged that his expertise lies in river health and not human health.

“The only thing I can say is that in crab muscle tissue in certain times of the year, the toxins build up to levels that the World Health Organization considers unsafe for consumption.”

And just so we know what the big deal is (Ecotoxicology report out of California EPA from 2009):

Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, are a family of single-celled algae that proliferate in water bodies such as ponds, lakes, reservoirs, and slow-moving streams when the water is warm and nutrients are available. Many cyanobacteria species produce a group of toxins known as microcystins, some of which are toxic. The species most commonly associated with microcystin production is Microcystis aeruginosa [1]. Upon ingestion, toxic microcystins are actively absorbed by fish, birds and mammals. Microcystin primarily affects the liver, causing minor to widespread damage, depending on the amount of toxin absorbed. People swimming, waterskiing, or boating in contaminated water can be exposed to microcytins. Microcystins may also accumulate in fish that are caught and eaten by people. Finally, pets and livestock have died after drinking water contaminated with microcystins.

In the end, at least for some folks, it's all about the money:

Blue crabs are Virginia’s top commercial seafood catch and produced a $24 million harvest last year.

“Consumers can be utterly confident that the product they are purchasing is of the highest quality,” said John Bull, a spokesman for the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, which manages fish in Virginia’s tidal waters.

I'm not dismissing the potential for undue harm that can befall a particular business or even a whole sector when we get alarmed about something - especially when the alarm sounds a lot like "there's something wrong with the food".  That said, I need to feel more confident that the alarm isn't simply being muffled artificially (if not dismantled completely) - which has become something of a habit for way too many people in positions of power.

I have a call in to an old pal at the poison center in Richmond, but as of now, he hasn't called me back.  Update when/if that happens.

hat tip = Blue Virginia