A recent article in The New York Times has re-awakened public concern for a growing health issue: mercury content in fish. The New York Times published the article in response to a study they had conducted last October that revealed, “high levels of mercury in the blood of New Yorkers.” Although the general public is well aware that
almost all seafood contains certain levels of mercury, the EPA’s recommended limitations on mercury consumption are surprisingly strict. By consuming as little as two to three bluefin tuna sushi pieces a week, you may be exceeding acceptable levels of mercury, according to the EPA’s guidelines.

According to Atmospheric Environment, mercury enters the eco system from two main sources: volcanoes, and human manufacturing plants. Mercury pollution from human activity results largely from coal-fueled power plants (surprise, surprise!) Next, while all seafood contains at least marginal traces of mercury, larger fish such as sharks, tuna, and swordfish are able to accumulate more of the toxin. Due to its half-life of 72 days, mercury is effectively bio-magnified as you go up the food chain, so larger, predatory fish contain more mercury as a consequence.

In partnership with the US Department of Health, the EPA published a helpful guide for selecting fish with less mercury (I gladly took note that salmon is included as a safer alternative!) Oceana, an ocean protection group, is currently campaigning to stop seafood contamination and offers several tips on how we can take action to help our communities and counteract methods of production that use mercury.

See if your grocer is providing signage regarding the mercury levels of the fish they are selling using their interactive map. In NYC, Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s are on the green list, as opposed to the red, as in mercury.

An organization called Got Mercury? has a nifty calculator so you can determine your personal exposure to mercury — according to how much, of what type of fish, you consume.

One take-home piece of advice that prevails in most studies is to choose “chunk light tuna” rather than “albacore.” It contains 1/3 the amount of mercury. Even better advice? If you are a small child, pregnant woman, or looking to become pregnant, skip the complicated details and don’t eat fish with higher mercury levels, which will help prevent neurological damage in developing children.

Update:  Where else to find a healthy alternative to mercury-laden blue fin tuna?  Kona Blue Waters Farms offers Kona Kampachi tuna.

Related: (sea)food for thought (10.20.07)