8/13/2019 Mercury in Seafood- Is It Still Safe to Eat Fish

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Mercury in Seafood: Is It Still Safe toEat Fish?By Lisa Collier CoolOct 02, 2013

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Day in Health

byLisa Collier Cool

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Scary news for seafood lovers: Not only do 84 percent of the worlds fish contain

potentially unsafe levels of mercury, but eating certain types of seafood

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frequently may be particularly risky, troubling new research suggests.

Scientists have also solved a longstanding mystery: why deep-water fish, such

as swordfish and bigeye tuna, contain more mercury than marine life that feeds

near the oceans surface, such as flying fish and yellowfin tuna.

Inresearch published earlier this yearin Nature Geoscience, scientists from

University of Michigan and University of Hawaii report that up to 80 percent of

methylmercurythe highly toxic form of this heavy metalis found deep in the

ocean, which is why deep-feeding fish have the highest levels.

Particularly Hazardous to Kids

Methylmercury poses the greatest threat to children, since it can harm their

developing brains and nervous system,the EPA reports.When babies are

exposed to this toxin in the womb (through their mothers consumption of

contaminated seafood), it can impair memory, attention, language, fine motor,

and other physical and mental skills, the agency adds.

The main source of exposure is eating fish and shellfish laced with this toxin

and the danger is likely to increase, since the new study predicts that levels of

this industrial pollutant in the Pacific Ocean may double by 2050, unless action is

taken to combat this growing threat to our seafood supplyand human health.

Heres a closer look at the new researchand how to get the benefits of fish

(such as heart-protective Omega-3 fatty acids), while minimizing exposure to

mercury.

5 Hidden Toxins in Your Home

How Does Mercury Get Into Fish?

In an earlier study, the same researchers found that, predatory fish that feed at

deeper depths in the open ocean, like opah and swordfish, have higher mercury

concentrations than those that feed in waters near the surface, like mahi-mahi

and yellowfin tuna, studycoauthor Brian Popptold Hawaii 24/7.

http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/ngeo1918.htmlhttp://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/ngeo1918.htmlhttp://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/ngeo1918.htmlhttp://www.epa.gov/hg/effects.htmhttp://www.epa.gov/hg/effects.htmhttp://www.epa.gov/hg/effects.htmhttp://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/hidden-household-toxins?utm_source=health.yahoo.net&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=yahhphttp://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/hidden-household-toxins?utm_source=health.yahoo.net&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=yahhphttp://www.hawaii247.com/2013/09/08/ocean-fish-acquire-more-mercury-at-depth-research-ascertains/http://www.hawaii247.com/2013/09/08/ocean-fish-acquire-more-mercury-at-depth-research-ascertains/http://www.hawaii247.com/2013/09/08/ocean-fish-acquire-more-mercury-at-depth-research-ascertains/http://www.hawaii247.com/2013/09/08/ocean-fish-acquire-more-mercury-at-depth-research-ascertains/http://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/hidden-household-toxins?utm_source=health.yahoo.net&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=yahhphttp://www.epa.gov/hg/effects.htmhttp://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/ngeo1918.html

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We knew this was true, but we didnt know why, adds Popp, professor of

geology and geophysics at University of Hawaii at Manoa. In the new study, the

team used a mass spectrometer to analyze mercury in six predatory species and

three species of prey fish, caught in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii.

By analyzing the chemical signatures of methylmercury in the fish, the

researchers discovered that the toxin travel thousands of miles through the air

from Asian countries, where coal-burning power plants spew out mercury

pollution.

Sunlight helps break down mercury pollution near the ocean surface, explaining

why fish that feed there have lower levels. But the heavy metal also appears to

bind to bacteria in organic matter that sinks to the lower depths where deep-

water fish eat it.

Those fish, in turn, are eaten by large predatory deep-water fish at the top of the

food chain. The nine species studied, ranked from deepest- to shallowest-

feeding, were 2 species of lantern fish, swordfish, bigeye tuna, moonfish (opah),

skipjack tuna, yellowfin tuna, mahi-mahi, and flying fish.

Facts About Eating Fish

Which Fish Contain the Most Mercury?

In a paperreleased earlier this year, the Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI)

found that 84 percent of fish samples from around the world contain mercury

concentrations exceeding the Environmental Protection Agencys (EPA) health

advisory guidelines. That means the amount wasnt safe for human consumption

more than once a month.

BRI reports that the greatest concentrations were found in marlin, Pacific bluefin

tuna, swordfish, and king mackerel. Several species of shark were also high in

mercury. The new study suggests that other deep-water fish, such as lantern

fish, moonfish, and bigeye or skipjack tuna, could also be risky.

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What Is the Healthiest Seafood?

BRI rates anchovy, sardines, flounder, salmon, cod and haddock as healthier

choices that can be safely eaten on a weekly basis, while the new study found

that of the 9 fish species studied, flying fish and mahi-mahi were among the

lowest in mercury.

The EPAalso recommendsshrimp, canned light tuna, catfish, salmon, and

pollack as commonly consumed seafood options that are low in the heavy metal

toxin. Fish sticks and fast-food fish sandwiches are typically made from fish that

are low in mercury.

3 Tips for Safe, Healthy Seafood Consumption

The EPA suggests that women and young children follow these 3 guidelines to

get the health benefits of seafood, while reducing risk for harmful effects of

mercury. New studies show that a Mediterranean diet that includes fish, fresh

fruits and vegetables, oil olive, and nuts helps ward off dangerous diseases,

includingheart attacksandcancer,

1.Avoid shark, swordfish, king mackerel, or tilefish because theyre high in

mercury.

2. Eat up to 12 ounces of seafood (2 average meals) weekly. Select from a

variety of fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury. Since albacore

("white") tuna has more mercury than canned light tuna, limit yourself to a

max of 6 ounces of albacore as one of your two weekly meals of fish.Check local advisories about the safety of fish caught in your local lakes, rivers,and coastal areas. If no advice is available, eat up to 6 ounces (one averagemeal) per week of fish you or friends catch, but don't eat any other fish duringthat week.

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