We have always been told that we are what we eat. To some extent that is true. But, we are also what we throw out. And that is becoming a very big problem.

It appears that the USDA and the EPA are drafting what may become a mercury advisory on canned tuna. Mercury is a metal that has been linked to neurological illness in children and fetuses. Some doctors already tell pregnant woman to avoid fresh and canned tuna.

Some federal studies show that around 10% of pregnant women have high mercury levels in their blood. And studies suggest that adults may too become ill from the consumption of mercury.

We have just now learned that farm raised salmon allegedly also can make us ill. This time the poison is PCBs - long know for making people very ill.

Here is what is interesting about the salmon story. The problem may be worse in farm raised salmon. Apparently it has something to do with what the farmers feed these fish. In other words, this was a problem that could have been avoided. It appears as if human intervention may have made this problem worse.

Ironically, the big deal about farm raised fish is that it was supposed to have little of these dangerous substances. Now scientists are urging that just the opposite may be true.

Imagine if that is so. Can it be that we were all led to purchase farm raised salmon under the pretense that it is safer, when just the opposite might be so? I certainly would like to know the answer and the details.

The FDA already has a tuna advisory urging people to limit tuna intake - including canned tuna. But the proposed advisory, if it becomes final, would reportedly even go further.

Of interest to me is a list compiled by the National Resources defense Council. It advises people on how much tuna they might safely consume, based on weight. You will see that some people cannot even eat fairly small amounts without exceeding EPA levels deemed to be safe. The list can be located at the NRDC website.

Of course, fish is also good for us. And someone will hopefully soon tell us how much of what kinds of fish should be eaten. For now, I guess moderation makes the most sense .

It's sad that we have caused these problems ourselves. The salmon problem seem to have something to do with what the farmers feed the fish. And the tuna problem relates to mercury deposited into the water and air by our own industrial operations.

Yes, we are what we eat. But we are also what we toss away.

The information provided in this column is written by Stuart Lieberman,a practicing environmental attorney, and is for general information purposes only. It is not legal advice and should not be used in place of legal advice.

Stuart Lieberman, Esq., and IRED.Com, Inc., will not accept any responsibilty for any reliance on the information in this column or any damages whatsoever resulting from reading this column.