While fish is an excellent source of protein and nutrients, too many servings of certain types of fish can lead to ingestion of dangerous amounts of mercury. When elemental mercury is released into the environment either naturally or through industrial processes, it becomes aerosolized and can spread long distances before eventually being deposited into soil or water. Once in rivers, lakes, and the ocean, microorganisms transform this elemental mercury into methylmercury, which in turn ends up in organisms that live in these bodies of water.
While small fish and shellfish contain lower levels of methylmercury, large predatory fish such as tuna, swordfish, king mackerel, and shark contain high levels of methylmercury. Methylmercury is a known to have neurotoxicity, particularly in developing organisms (such as children).
Don’t let this scare you away from fish completely as fish is a very health source of protein. Simply be aware that when it comes to mercury, not all fish are created equal; choose accordingly.
While fish is an excellent source of protein and nutrients, too
many servings of certain types of fish can lead to ingestion of
dangerous amounts of mercury. When elemental mercury is released
into the environment either naturally or through...
More
Dr. Philip Landrigan of The Mount Sinai Medical Center answered:While fish is an excellent source of protein and nutrients, too many servings of certain types of fish can lead to ingestion of dangerous amounts of mercury. When elemental mercury is released into the environment either naturally or through industrial processes, it becomes aerosolized and can spread long distances before eventually being deposited into soil or water. Once in rivers, lakes, and the ocean, microorganisms transform this elemental mercury into methylmercury, which in turn ends up in organisms that live in these bodies of water.
