Heavy Metal

[Fed]

Metal contamination killing harbour


April 07, 2008 09:30pm
Article from: AAP
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CONTIMAINATED seaweed in Sydney Harbour has some of the world's highest levels of copper and lead and is killing sea life that feed on it, a study has revealed.

Up to 75 per cent of the offspring of small crustaceans that feed on a common brown seaweed die.
The UNSW study sampled seaweed from 10 bays ranging from 3km to 11km inside Sydney heads.
The amount of lead and zinc found in brown seaweed in Woolloomooloo Bay, Balls Head Bay and Rushcutters Bay exceed levels found in the Hong Kong Islands and Brazil's Sepetiba Bay - some of the world's most contaminated waterways
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23503363-1702,00.html

Looks like we're leading the World in harbour pollution now.

[Mr Potato Head]

Might have to start mining the habour the way copper and lead prices are going!

[borisboga]

Might have to start mining the habour the way copper and lead prices are going!:rolling laughter: :rolling laughter:

[borisboga]

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23503363-1702,00.html

Looks like we're leading the World in harbour pollution now.
i thought the harbour is getting cleaner year after year...:maad:

[Fed]

That's what I thought too Boris, those pollies will tell us anything.
It could also be a press beat up, they'll do anything for a story, it's probably nothing new just old news.

[kingyfisher]

Zinc is NOT a heavy metal and if anything is deficient in most plants & animals in Australia!:rolling laughter:
Lead ,cadmium,mercury etc are the ones that cause concern.

[Dog Catcher]

Suppose you're going out to buy a Bloody Big Magnet now Fed so as you can go catch a fish ?????????????


You believe everything you read dont you ??? Well you believed that Pascoe Chappy :rolling laughter: :rolling laughter:

[kingyfisher]

Sorry DC you must have failed science in skool :rolling laughter: ,only metals containing iron (Fe) can be magnetised :beerchug:

[Dog Catcher]

Well Fed dosen't know that does he ??? :rolling laughter:

Thats why he purchased a magnet

[catchnrelease]

The whole harbour is filthy when you compare it to water ways like Port Hacking for example. It amazes me when I see people take a feed of bream, mullet or whiting from the Parramatta too. These three fish are the most "contaminated" if my memory serves me right.

I'd only think the general area around the heads would be clean.

[quintrex101]

yep yep your on the money there alex ....... thats why i fish port hacking cause its clean and even if you catch a few fish you know that you can eat them no worries

[kingyfisher]

It is important to consider the type of fish and not just the area they are caught.Some fish migrate eg Tailor,Mullet,others may feed in one place and spend most of the time somewhere else, eg Mulloway ,also some may eat realatively "clean" food eg Blackfish & Mullet and although found in contaminated sites have little contamination.
This is all a bit complex ,but generally, fish that feed on the sediments or feed on creatures that themselves eat food from the bottom ,in contaminated areas of the harbour ,must be considered suspect.