8 types of fish that contain the most mercury

However, some types of fish contain very high levels of mercury, causing concern for consumers’ health. Mercury is a heavy metal found in nature such as: Air, water and soil. This metal will be released into the environment in many different ways such as: Coal burning, volcanic eruptions, … From there, mercury can fall from the air and accumulate in streams, oceans and become methylmercury in water.

Nowadays, when environmental pollution is always at an alarming state, the amount of mercury in water is especially high, affecting the living fish species. Accordingly, people are at risk of exposure to mercury in many ways, not only inhaling mercury vapor through the mining process or working in industrial environments but also through fish in the daily menu.

Many cases of mercury exposure are caused by eating fish containing mercury, which has a mercury content exceeding the permissible threshold. Over time, mercury will cause high toxicity and seriously affect health, increase brain and liver diseases, increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease , Parkinson’s disease, autism, depression, …

8 types of fish with the highest mercury content

Fish is very nutritious, however readers should consider consuming the following 8 types of fish that contain mercury:

Farmed salmon

Wild salmon is very good for human health. However, for many different reasons, nowadays, salmon farming is becoming very popular. Salmon are fed industrial feed to produce large, plump salmon, high in calories and saturated fat but low in minerals necessary for the body. The amount of omega 3 and omega 6 in farmed salmon is also lower. More seriously, salmon farms are often unsanitary and at risk of contamination with toxins such as PCBs and dioxins.

Tilapia

Although tilapia is a familiar fish to Vietnamese people, its meat is sweet and easy to prepare, however, this is a fish that contains a lot of harmful fatty acids similar to pork fat. Therefore, eating a lot of tilapia can  increase blood cholesterol and tilapia is on the list of 8 types of fish with the highest mercury content that readers should consider choosing.

Catfish

Catfish is a type of fish that Vietnam has the opportunity to export, increasing its economic value. However, when testing crystal violet and malachite green in the United States, the results were not as expected. Even more sadly, the United States listed catfish as a type of fish that does not meet quality standards and is one of the 8 types of fish that contain the most mercury that you should know.

Mackerel

Mackerel is a fish that contains a lot of omega 3, which is very good for the development of young children and pregnant women. However, it is a type of fish that contains mercury that readers should learn about before consuming. Mackerel in the Atlantic region is considered safe for readers to choose.

Tuna

Nutritionists say that tuna contains a lot of mercury, especially bluefin tuna and blackfin tuna. To avoid affecting your health, adults should only eat 100 grams of tuna per month!

Catfish

Did you know that large catfish are raised and fed with hormones to increase their weight for the purpose of high profits? These fish are considered unclean and have the risk of containing toxic mercury that readers should consider choosing.

Eel

Eels are a type of fish that is both susceptible to mercury contamination and considered unclean because they absorb industrial and agricultural waste through water sources.

Chilean Cod

Although Chilean cod is a fish rich in omega 3, you should limit your intake of this fish because it has a very high mercury content, exceeding the allowable level by 86%, so readers should consider choosing it. Black striped cod is still safe but should only be eaten once a week and no other seafood should be eaten.

Above is information about 8 types of fish with the highest mercury content that you should know. To choose fish for your family’s meals, readers need to consider choosing clean food sources that do not contain toxic mercury!