Eating fish and mussels from Jakarta Bay is dangerous because of toxic and hazardous compounds that damage fish organs and paralyze mussels, an expert has said
span>Eating fish and mussels from Jakarta Bay is dangerous because of toxic and hazardous compounds that damage fish organs and paralyze mussels, an expert has said.
A professor at Bogor Agricultural University’s maritime affairs and fisheries department, Etty Riani, told reporters on Thursday that the quality of fish depended on the quality of the environment.
“People who consume fish from Jakarta Bay are susceptible to cancer and degenerative diseases like kidney failure,” she said.
In a polluted environment, fish are prone to contamination from hazardous compounds, such as metal compounds that can damage fish tissues, carcinogens and mutagens.
Etty explained that metal compounds entered the body of a fish through its skin pores, gills or when it was eating. The compounds then accumulate in the organs.
The Citarum River and Jakarta Bay were among the most polluted river or coastal areas, she said. Hazardous compounds have been found in barracuda, pepetek, sokang, beloso and mussels from Jakarta Bay.
Mussels that are contaminated with hazardous compounds become bubbly in shape instead of flat, which indicates unsafe meat.
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