Mercury in fish (2024)

FAQs

Mercury in fish? ›

Summary. Fish that contain high levels of mercury include shark, ray, swordfish, barramundi, gemfish, orange roughy, ling and southern bluefin tuna. Mercury is a naturally occurring element that is found in air, water and food.

Health Risks

Mercury can harm brain development at relatively low levels and can be toxic to adults at high levels. Mercury is found in nearly all fish and is the biggest concern for eating fish. Other pollutants that are sometimes found in fish can cause cancer or other health problems.

Some of the health effects exposure to mercury may cause include: irritation to the eyes, skin, and stomach; cough, chest pain, or difficulty breathing, insomnia, irritability, indecision, headache, weakness or exhaustion, and weight loss.

Choose fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury such as salmon, trout, tilapia, cod, sole, sardines, shrimp, oysters, and other shellfish. For the most health benefits, choose fatty fish such as salmon, trout, herring, chub mackerel, and sardines. o These fish have healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

There is no method of cooking or cleaning fish that will reduce the amount of mercury in a meal. Methylmercury accumulates as you move up the food chain: Methylmercury in the water and sediment is taken up by tiny animals and plants known as plankton. Small fishes eat large quantities of plankton over time.

Farmed salmon is a smart, safe and sustainable seafood choice. Salmon is low in mercury. Both wild and farmed Atlantic salmon have much lower mercury levels than most other fish species. Farmed salmon has on average, 0.05 micrograms of mercury per gram.

It takes our bodies about 60 days to eliminate half of the mercury ingested, so fish with higher mercury concentrations should be eaten less frequently. The health effects of eating fish contaminated with PCBs have been widely studied in animals and humans.

The body does not readily absorb liquid mercury through the skin or stomach. However, the liquid evaporates at room temperature, especially when heated. If inhaled, mercury vapors can be highly toxic.

High exposures may lead to death, permanent neurologic deficits, or mental retardation. For adults, mercury poisoning is usually a reversible problem. The body can rid itself of mercury if the exposure to mercury is halted. Symptoms such as fatigue and memory problems seem to go away as mercury levels decrease.

Are shrimp high in mercury? ›

Five of the most commonly eaten fish that are low in mercury are shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, and catfish. Another commonly eaten fish, albacore ("white") tuna has more mercury than canned light tuna.

Sulfur rich foods including whey protein and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and cabbage, also support glutathione production and detoxification in general. Garlic, cilantro, and chlorella, a type of algae superfood, can also help to detoxify mercury and heavy metals from the body.

Sprinkle sulfur powder over the contaminated area and rub it gently all over the surface and into the cracks with a paper towel. Sulfur powder binds with mercury. Use a paper towel dampened with water followed by wiping with another damp paper towel to clean up the sulfur and mercury.

However, nearly all fish and shellfish contain traces of mercury. For most people, the risk from mercury by eating fish and shellfish is not a health concern. Yet some fish and shellfish contain higher levels of mercury that may harm an unborn baby or young child's developing nervous system.

It's also possible to develop mercury poisoning from eating too much seafood, even if the varieties have lower levels of mercury. The FDA states that in small amounts, certain types of fish with lower mercury levels may be okay for adults to eat once or twice per week.

For adults, a typical serving is 4 ounces of fish, measured before cooking. Our advice is to eat 2 to 3 servings of a variety of cooked fish, or about 8 to 12 ounces, in a week. Please see III. CHILDREN below for information specific to children.

While it might be safe to eat fish every day, Rimm says it's still not clear if there is any added health benefits to that level of consumption. “Most of the science isn't looking at daily consumption,” he explains.