Mercury in Fish

Should I be concerned about fish and mercury content? I mostly eat salmon and cod.

Oceans are becoming increasingly contaminated with metals, industrial chemicals, and pesticides; the most researched offenders include:

Mercury, Lead, PCBs, DDT,Dieldrin

The strongest concern lies in consumption of tainted fish by pregnant women, as unknown levels of ingestion may cause birth defects or cancer; small children also are a high-risk group.

Methylmercury binds to protein and is found throughout the fish muscle; so, both fish steaks and filets may contain mercury.

PCBs accumulate in fatty tissues of fish—high concentrations pose health risks to those who consume large amounts.

It can take 12-18 months to reduce levels of mercury in the body and up to 5 years to rid the body of mercury entirely; for this reason, it is important that women who expect to become pregnant decrease their intake to avoid consumption of tainted fish.

Always weigh the risk-to-benefit ratio of consuming fish for their omega-3 benefits against the potential harm from consuming fish that is possibly contaminated.

Fish that are high in omega-3s, low in environmental contaminants, and eco-friendly include:

Wild salmon from Alaska (fresh, frozen, and canned), Arctic char, Atlantic mackerel, Sardines, Sablefish, Anchovies, Farmed oysters, Farmed rainbow trout, Albacore tuna from the United States and Canada

Fish oil is an alternative to consuming fish, but chemicals and metals can build up in the oil, as well; choose purified fish oil capsules as the best alternative

Fish with low levels of mercury
Enjoy these fish:

Anchovies, catfish, clams, crab (domestic), crawfish/crayfish, flounder, haddock, herring, mackerel (North Atlantic, chub), mullet, oysters, perch (ocean) , Pollock, salmon (canned)†, salmon (fresh) †, sardines, scallops*, shrimp*, sole (Pacific)¸squid (calamari), tilapia, trout (freshwater), whitefish, whiting

Fish with moderate levels of mercury
Eat six servings or less/month of the following fish:

Bass (striped, black), Carp, Cod (Alaskan)*, Croaker (white Pacific), Halibut (Atlantic)*, Halibut (Pacific), Jacksmelt (silverside), Lobster, Mahimahi, Monkfish*, Perch (freshwater), Sablefish, Skate*, Snapper*, Tuna (canned chunk light),Tuna (skipjack)*, Weakfish (sea trout)

Fish with high levels of mercury
Eat three servings or less/month of the following fish:

Bluefish, Grouper*, Mackerel (Spanish, gulf), Sea bass (Chilean)*, Tuna (canned albacore),Tuna (yellowfin)*

Fish with the highest levels of mercury
Avoid eating the following fish:

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
†Farmed salmon: May contain PCBs, chemicals with serious long-term health effects