A number of University of Wisconsin-Madison scientists will present research at the Eighth International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant starting this weekend at the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center in Madison.
Here is a preview of some newsworthy presentations:
Fish Advisories in Context:
Tuesday, Aug. 8, 4:40 p.m., Ballroom C: A UW-Madison researcher has found that fish toxicity notices in Wisconsin are often ineffective and largely fail to inform consumers about the dangers of mercury-contaminated fish.
Maria Powell, a research associate at UW-Madison's Lafollette School of Public Affairs, explored fishing cultures among African-American and European fishermen in Milwaukee and Cleveland. Powell looked primarily at how socioeconomic, physical and cultural factors might be influencing how fishermen perceive public notices about fish health.
The researcher found varying levels of trust with regards to the notices. Also, pro-fishing marketing and media coverage often overwhelms the coverage of the fish advisories, deepening confusion in the community.
Powell discovered the situation is even worse within the state's Hmong populations, which barely receive notices to start with. Additionally, myriad social, cultural and technological constraints bar Hmong community members from accessing the few translated notices that are available.
Powell believes fish-contamination notices could be have more impact with increased funding for their creation, improved communications with uninformed communities and better media coverage of fish contamination issues.
CONTACT: Maria Powell, (608) 240-1485, powell@wisc.edu
Attacking mercury through the food chain:
Tuesday, Aug. 8, 10 a.m., Grand Terrace: To address the problem of mercury contamination in fish, a UW-Madison scientist is hunting for the microo
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Contact: Kathleen Schmitt
media@mercury2006.org
608-262-6393
University of Wisconsin-Madison
3-Aug-2006