Which seafood has the most mercury

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We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification. I Accept Show Purposes. Table of Contents View All. Table of Contents. Risks of Mercury. Mercury Levels in Fish. Low-Mercury Fish. Moderate-Mercury Fish. High-Mercury Fish. Fish to Avoid. Fish Nutrition Facts. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign Up. What are your concerns? Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles.

Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Methylmercury poisoning. MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. Public Health Statement for Mercury. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Related Articles. Octopus Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits. Haddock Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits.

What Is the Pescatarian Diet? Tuna vs. Cod Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits. But if Americans follow those guidelines without careful attention to which species they are consuming, they could end up taking in too much mercury. Learn how mercury gets into fish. Though the agencies say consumers should seek out fish that are low in mercury, almost all seafood contains the toxin in varying amounts, and getting too much of it can damage the brain and nervous system.

That is especially true for fetuses, but children and adults who eat too much high-mercury seafood also can suffer harmful effects such as problems with fine motor coordination, speech, sleep, and walking, and prickly sensations. Read " Sick From Sushi ," which details how one fish lover felt the effects of mercury. Visit our mercury in seafood resources page to use the Got Mercury? The latest federal proposal encourages women who are pregnant, breast-feeding, or trying to become pregnant to eat between 8 and 12 ounces of fish per week, and suggests a minimum weekly quota for young children, too.

This marks the first time those agencies have set a firm minimum level for weekly fish consumption, including shellfish. From that we identified almost 20 seafood choices that can be eaten several times per week, even by pregnant women and young children, without worrying about mercury exposure.

We also believe the agencies do not do enough to guide consumers to the best low-mercury seafood choices. To make decisions easier for consumers, our chart below gives advice about good low-mercury choices. Mercury levels in the northern Pacific Ocean have risen about 30 percent over the past 20 years and are expected to rise by 50 percent more by as industrial mercury emissions increase, according to a study led by researchers at the U.

Geological Survey and Harvard University. Mercury-containing plants and tiny animals are eaten by smaller fish that are then gobbled up by larger fish, whose tissue accumulates mercury. In comments submitted to federal health officials earlier this year, a group of scientists and policy analysts pointed out that a 6-ounce serving of salmon contains about 4 micrograms of mercury vs. When you eat seafood containing methylmercury, more than 95 percent is absorbed, passing into your bloodstream.

It can move throughout your body, where it can penetrate cells in any tissue or organ. Below are low-mercury fish that anyone can eat frequently. We used the EPA's dietary safety limit for methylmercury known as the reference dose to make our calculations. Visit our mercury in seafood resources pag e for more information on making safer seafood choices. The page includes the Got Mercury? Enter the types and amount of fish you plan to eat for the week, along with your body weight, and you'll see whether you'll be exceeding the safe dietary limit for mercury.

When the FDA and EPA last issued recommendations about seafood, in , they advised women of childbearing age to eat no more than 12 ounces of fish per week because of concerns about exposure to mercury. Though the agencies are still recommending that upper limit, they now are adding minimum weekly quotas, in part because recent research the FDA conducted indicated that one in five pregnant women had eaten no fish at all in the previous month and the majority of those who did had less than 4 ounces per week.

The mercury in fish can lead to raised mercury levels in the mother. This mercury can be passed on through the placenta to her developing baby. The fetus appears to be most sensitive to the effects of mercury during the third and fourth months of a pregnancy. The effects on the brain and nervous system may not be noticed until developmental milestones - such as walking and talking - are delayed. Memory, language and attention span may also be affected.

Studies of the brain development of children whose mothers ate significant amounts of fish with high mercury levels during pregnancy have been carried out in New Zealand, the Faroe Islands and the Seychelles. These researchers recommended reducing the amount of fish known to contain mercury in the diet, particularly for pregnant women. Australian research shows that mercury levels in some fish, particularly shark, could be even higher than in the areas studied for this research.

In fact, it seems that mercury levels in some shark species caught in Victorian waters are particularly high. Advice was extended to cover pregnant women, women intending to become pregnant within the next six months, young children and the general population. It is suggested that pregnant women eat 2—3 serves of fish every week for the good health of themselves and their developing baby. However, pregnant women or women intending to become pregnant within the next six months should be careful about which fish they eat.

Some types of fish contain high levels of mercury, which can be harmful to the developing fetus. Pregnant women should:. Note: g is equivalent to approximately two frozen crumbed fish portions. Methylmercury from fish eaten by women during pregnancy seems to only pose a health threat to the baby while it is in the womb. So people only go over the safe levels if they eat a lot of high mercury-containing fish regularly over many months. This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:.

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