Ocwaningweni lwango-2016, abesifazane abakhulelwe abangu-3 kwabayishumi babenamazinga e-mercury aphezulu kunomkhawulo ophephile we-EPA.

Sekuyiminyaka eminingi, ukudla kwasolwandle kumenyezelwa njengokukhethwa kokudla okunempilo kwesizwe. Ku-Dietary Guidelines for Americans ka-2010, i-Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ibeka ukuthi omama abakhulelwe badle izinhlanzi ezimbili kuya kwezintathu (8-12 oz) zezinhlanzi ngesonto, kugcizelelwe ezinhlotsheni ezincane zemercury kanye ne-omega-3 ephezulu. ama-fatty acids, ingxenye yokudla okulinganiselayo.

Ngesikhathi esifanayo, kuye kwavela imibiko eminingi yenhlangano exwayisa ngezingozi eziningi zezempilo ezihlobene nokusetshenziswa kwezilwane zasolwandle, ikakhulukazi kwabesifazane. Ngokuvumelana ne ucwaningo lwe-2016 olwenziwa yi-Environmental Working Group (EWG), omama abakhulelwe abalandela iziqondiso zokudla ze-FDA ngokuvamile banamazinga angaphephile e-mercury egazini labo. Kwabesifazane abakhulelwe abangu-254 abahlolwe yi-EWG abadle inani elinconyiwe lokudla kwasolwandle, oyedwa kwabathathu ababambe iqhaza unezinga le-mercury elithathwa njengelingaphephile yi-Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Ngesonto eledlule ngaphansi kokuphatha kuka-Obama, i-FDA kanye ne-EPA bakhiphe a isethi ebuyekeziwe yezinkombandlela, kanye nohlu olude ngokuphawulekayo lwezinhlobo ezikhulelwe okufanele zizigweme ngokuphelele.

Izincomo eziphikisanayo zikahulumeni wobumbano zidale ukudideka phakathi kwabathengi baseMelika futhi zashiya abesifazane engcupheni yokuchayeka ubuthi okungenzeka. Iqiniso lendaba ukuthi lokhu kushintsha kwezeluleko zokudla phakathi neminyaka kubonisa ukushintsha kwempilo yemvelo yethu yasolwandle, ngaphezu kwanoma yini enye.

Njengoba lubanzi futhi lunamandla kakhulu, ulwandle lwabonakala lukhona ngaphandle kwendawo yokulawula noma ithonya lomuntu. Ngokomlando, abantu babenomuzwa wokuthi ngeke bakhiphe izinsiza zemvelo eziningi kakhulu, noma balahle imfucuza eningi, olwandle. Yeka indlela esasinephutha ngayo. Iminyaka eminingi yokuxhaphaza nokungcolisa iplanethi yethu eluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka ibe nomphumela omubi kakhulu. Njengamanje, ngaphezu kwama-85% ezindawo zokudoba emhlabeni zihlukaniswa njengezixhashazwe ngokugcwele noma ezixhashazwe ngokweqile. Ngo-2015, izinhlayiya zepulasitiki eziyizigidi eziyizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-5.25, ezinesisindo esingaphezu kwamathani angu-270,000, zatholwa zintanta kuwo wonke ama-gyres omhlaba, zihilela impilo yasolwandle ngendlela ebulalayo futhi zingcolisa iwebhu yokudla emhlabeni wonke. Njengoba imvelo yasolwandle ihlupheka, kuye kwaba sobala nakakhulu ukuthi inhlalakahle yabantu kanye nempilo yasolwandle kuxhumene kakhulu. Lokho kucekelwa phansi kolwandle empeleni kuyindaba yamalungelo abantu. Futhi ukuthi uma kukhulunywa ngezilwane zasolwandle, ukungcola olwandle empeleni kuwukuhlasela impilo yabesifazane.

Okokuqala, ipulasitiki ikhiqizwa kusetshenziswa amakhemikhali afana nama-phthalates, ama-flame retardants, ne-BPA-wonke axhunywe nezinkinga ezinkulu zempilo yabantu. Ngokuphawulekayo, uchungechunge lwezifundo zocwaningo olwenziwa ngo-2008 nango-2009 lwathola ngisho imithamo ephansi ye-BPA ishintsha ukukhula kwebele, yandisa ingozi yomdlavuza webele, ihlotshaniswa nokuphuphuma kwesisu okuphindaphindiwe, ingase ilimaze unomphela ama-ovari yabesifazane, futhi ingaba nomthelela ekukhuleni kokuziphatha kwamantombazane amancane. Izingozi ezihlobene nemfucuza yethu zenziwa kanye kuphela emanzini olwandle.

Uma ususolwandle, udoti wepulasitiki usebenza njengesipontshi sezinye izinto ezingcolisa umoya eziyingozi, ezihlanganisa i-DDT, i-PCB, namanye amakhemikhali avinjelwe isikhathi eside. Ngenxa yalokho, ucwaningo luye lwathola ukuthi i-microbead eyodwa yepulasitiki ingaba ubuthi obuphindwe kasigidi kunamanzi olwandle azungezile. Ama-microplastic antantayo aqukethe iziphazamisi ze-endocrine ezaziwayo, ezingabangela izinkinga ezihlukahlukene zokuzala nokuthuthuka komuntu. Amakhemikhali, afana ne-DEHP, i-PVC, ne-PS, avame ukutholakala emfucumfucwini yasolwandle yepulasitiki axhunywe ekukhuphukeni kwamazinga omdlavuza, ukungazali, ukwehluleka kwezitho, izifo zemizwa, kanye nokuthomba kokuqala kwabesifazane. Njengoba impilo yasolwandle idla udoti wethu ngephutha, lobu buthi budlula kuwebhu enkulu yokudla olwandle, kuze kube yilapho buphelela emapuletini ethu.

Izinga lokungcoliswa kolwandle likhulu kakhulu, imithwalo yomzimba yazo zonke izilwane zasolwandle iye yangcoliswa. Kusukela eziswini ze-salmon kuya emafutheni e-orcas, ubuthi benziwe umuntu buqoqiwe kuwo wonke amazinga ochungechunge lokudla.

Ngenxa yenqubo ye-biomagnification, izilwane ezizingelayo zithwala imithwalo emikhulu yobuthi, okwenza ukusetshenziswa kwenyama yazo kube yingozi empilweni yabantu.

KuZiqondiso Zokudla Zabantu baseMelika, i-FDA incoma abesifazane abakhulelwe ukuthi bangayidli inhlanzi ene-mercury-heavy, njenge-tuna, i-swordfish, i-marlin, evame ukuhlala phezulu ohlwini lokudla. Lesi siphakamiso, nakuba sinengqondo, siyakushaya indiva ukungezwani kwamasiko.

Ngokwesibonelo, izizwe zomdabu zase-Arctic, zithembele enyameni ecebile, enamafutha kanye namanoni ezilwane ezincelisayo zasolwandle ukuze zithole ukudla, ukubasa nokufudumala. Ucwaningo luze lwathi ukugcwala okuphezulu kukavithamini C esikhumbeni se-narwhal yimpumelelo isiyonke yokusinda kwabantu base-Inuit. Ngeshwa, ngenxa yokudla kwabo okungokomlando kwezilwane ezidla ezinye, abantu base-Inuit base-Arctic baye bathinteka kakhulu ekungcolisweni kolwandle. Nakuba kukhiqizwa izinkulungwane zamakhilomitha kude, ukungcola kwemvelo okuqhubekayo (isb. izibulala-zinambuzane, amakhemikhali ezimboni) kuhlolwe ngokuphindwe izikhathi ezingu-8-10 emizimbeni yama-Inuit futhi ikakhulukazi obisini oluncelisayo lomama abangama-Inuit. Laba besifazane abakwazi ukuzivumelanisa kalula neziqondiso eziguquguqukayo ze-FDA.

Kuyo yonke iNingizimu-mpumalanga ye-Asia, isobho le-shark fin sekuyisikhathi eside libhekwa njengesibiliboco. Ngokuphambene nenganekwane yokuthi banikeza inani eliyingqayizivele lokudla okunempilo, amaphiko oshaka empeleni anamazinga e-mercury aphindwe izikhathi ezingu-42 ngaphezu komkhawulo ophephile ogadiwe. Lokhu kusho ukuthi ukudla isobho le-shark fin empeleni kuyingozi kakhulu, ikakhulukazi ezinganeni nakwabesifazane abakhulelwe. Nokho, njengesilwane ngokwaso, kunefu eliminyene lemininingwane engamanga elizungeze amaphiko oshaka. Emazweni akhuluma isi-Mandarin, isobho le-shark fin livame ukubizwa ngokuthi "isobho lamaphiko ezinhlanzi" - ngenxa yalokho, cishe u-75% wamaShayina awazi ukuthi isobho le-shark fin livela koshaka. Ngakho-ke, ngisho noma izinkolelo zamasiko ezigxilile zowesifazane okhulelwe zisuswa ukuze zihambisane ne-FDA, angase angabi nayo ngisho ne-ejensi yokugwema ukuchayeka. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi bayazi ngengozi noma cha, abesifazane baseMelika ngokufanayo badukiswa njengabathengi.

Nakuba ubungozi obuthile obuphathelene nokusetshenziswa kwezilwane zasolwandle bungase buncishiswe ngokugwema izinhlobo ezithile, lelo khambi liphazanyiswa inkinga evelayo yokukhwabanisa kwezilwane zasolwandle. Ukuxhashazwa ngokweqile kwezindawo zokudoba emhlabeni wonke kuye kwaholela ekwenyukeni kokukhwabanisa kwezilwane zasolwandle, lapho imikhiqizo yasolwandle ibhalwe ngokungeyikho ukuze kwandiswe inzuzo, igweme intela, noma ifihle ukungabi semthethweni. Isibonelo esivamile ukuthi amahlengethwa abulawa ekubanjweni okungasolwandle ahlala epakishwa njenge-tuna esemathinini. Umbiko wophenyo wango-2015 wathola ukuthi u-74% wezilwane zasolwandle ezihlolwe ezindaweni zokudlela ze-sushi kanye nama-38% ezindaweni zokudlela ezingezona eze-sushi e-US zazibhalwe ngokungeyikho. Kwesinye isitolo segrosa saseNew York, i-tilefish eluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka— esohlwini lwe-FDA lokuthi “Ungadli” ngenxa yokuqukethwe kwayo kwe-mercury ephezulu - ibibhalwe kabusha futhi ithengiswe ngokuthi kokubili “i-red snapper” kanye “ne-Alaskan halibut”. E-Santa Monica, eCalifornia, abapheki ababili be-sushi babanjwe bedayisa inyama yomkhomo, bephikelela ngokuthi i-tuna enamafutha. Ukukhwabanisa kwezilwane zasolwandle akugcini nje ngokuhlanekezela izimakethe kanye nokuhlanekezela izilinganiso zokuphila kwasolwandle, kubeka engcupheni enkulu yezempilo kubathengi bezinhlanzi emhlabeni wonke.

Ngakho ... ukudla noma ukungadli?

Kusukela kuma-microplastics anobuthi kuya ekukhwabaniseni okuyikonakona, ukudla ukudla kwasolwandle esidlweni sakusihlwa namuhla kungase kuzwakale kunzima. Kodwa ungakuvumeli lokho kukwesabise kude neqembu lokudla unomphela! Iphezulu ku-omega-3 fatty acids kanye namaprotheni angenalutho, inhlanzi igcwele izinzuzo zezempilo kwabesifazane nabesilisa ngokufanayo. Lokho isinqumo sokudla esifika kukho ukuqwashisa ngezimo. Ingabe umkhiqizo wezilwane zasolwandle unelebula ye-eco? Ingabe uthenga endaweni? Ingabe lolu hlobo lwaziwa ngokuthi luphezulu ku-mercury? Kalula nje: uyazi ukuthi uthengani? Zihlomise ngalolu lwazi ukuze uzivikele abanye abathengi. Iqiniso namaqiniso kubalulekile.