Mercury levels in fish

[thebrick]

Does anybody concern themselves with this very much? I know its not good to consume and if you are a mother-to-be or have a child you should certainly be aware of this. I happen to like canned tuna and the convenience. Looks like the chunk light has only "moderate amounts.... oh well.

LEAST MERCURY
Enjoy these fish:
Anchovies
Butterfish
Catfish
Clam
Crab (Domestic)
Crawfish/Crayfish
Croaker (Atlantic)
Flounder*
Haddock (Atlantic)*
Hake
Herring
Mackerel (N. Atlantic, Chub)
Mullet
Oyster
Perch (Ocean)
Plaice
Pollock
Salmon (Canned)**
Salmon (Fresh)**
Sardine
Scallop*
Shad (American)
Shrimp*
Sole (Pacific)
Squid (Calamari)
Tilapia
Trout (Freshwater)
Whitefish
Whiting

MODERATE MERCURY
Eat six servings or less per month:
Bass (Striped, Black)
Carp
Cod (Alaskan)*
Croaker (White Pacific)
Halibut (Atlantic)*
Halibut (Pacific)
Jacksmelt
(Silverside)
Lobster
Mahi Mahi
Monkfish*
Perch (Freshwater)
Sablefish
Skate*
Snapper*
Tuna (Canned
chunk light)
Tuna (Skipjack)*
Weakfish (Sea Trout)

HIGH MERCURY
Eat three servings or less per month:
Bluefish
Grouper*
Mackerel (Spanish, Gulf)
Sea Bass (Chilean)*
Tuna (Canned Albacore)
Tuna (Yellowfin)*

HIGHEST MERCURY
Avoid eating:
Mackerel (King)
Marlin*
Orange Roughy*
Shark*
Swordfish*
Tilefish*
Tuna
(Bigeye, Ahi)*

* Fish in Trouble! These fish are perilously low in numbers or are caught using environmentally destructive methods. To learn more, see the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Blue Ocean Institute, both of which provide guides to fish to enjoy or avoid on the basis of environmental factors.

** Farmed Salmon may contain PCB's, chemicals with serious long-term health effects.

Sources for NRDC's guide: The data for this guide to mercury in fish comes from two federal agencies: the Food and Drug Administration, which tests fish for mercury, and the Environmental Protection Agency, which determines mercury levels that it considers safe for women of childbearing age.

About the mercury-level categories: The categories on the list (least mercury to highest mercury) are determined according to the following mercury levels in the flesh of tested fish.

Least mercury: Less than 0.09 parts per million
Moderate mercury: From 0.09 to 0.29 parts per million
High mercury: From 0.3 to 0.49 parts per million
Highest mercury: More than .5 parts per million

 

[finny]

I eat a can of tuna everyday plus some other fish every other day.

When my wife was pregnant, we were more concerned and I made sure she didn't eat too many servings. Small kids, the same.

Otherwise, unless you eat few cans of tuna everyday, I wouldn't concern myself. Mercury is just one pollutant in the sea of other pollutants...

Once in a while, it's nice to do a body detox. I know there are some that are supposed to do heavy metals as well. Might look into it this year and do one.

 

[Designbuilt]

My wife was really concerned about this during her pregnancy last year, even now that she's breast-feeding she's extra careful, the only fish she really eats is sardines. Thanks for posting this I'm going to print it out and show it to her right now.

DB

 

[Ashop]

ANOTHER reason besides taste for me to avoid TUNA

 

[Pekkerwood]

Crapola! From that list Brick, I have enough Mercury in me to be a thermometer!

Pekkerwood