What are the safest fish for their low levels of mercury?

Mercury is a toxic element that damages the kidneys, lungs, cardiovascular and nervous systems, especially in pregnant women and children. Due to its physical-chemical properties, mercury can be transported over long distances and deposited in aquatic ecosystems, where it is absorbed by fish and other organisms. Most of the mercury that is ingested by the human population comes precisely from the consumption of fish and shellfish.

A team from the Institute for Environmental Diagnosis and Water Studies (IDAEA) of the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) in Spain has analyzed the concentration of mercury in 58 species of fish and shellfish for human consumption on sale in local markets in Spain, Italy and France. Of all of them, the specimens of 13 species had mercury concentrations low enough to meet the limits recommended by the European Union (EU) so that their consumption can be considered safe. Among them are the sardine, the anchovy, the sea bream, the sea bream and the squid.

“Consuming these species minimizes our intake of mercury, which is the price to pay when eating fish. In addition, these fish have a good amount of unsaturated fatty acids, which are more beneficial from a nutritional point of view”, explains Joan O. Grimalt, IDAEA researcher and lead author of the study.

The study focuses on more than 1,300 specimens of 58 species of fish and shellfish for human consumption that were for sale in markets in Spain (Menorca, Mallorca, Ibiza, Alicante, Ametlla de Mar and L’Ampolla), Italy (Genoa , Civitavecchia, Alghero) and France (Marseille). Other of the safest species are: blue whiting, caramel, gallant, rock mullet, serrano, corvallo, salpa and dolphinfish.

The study has focused on more than 1,300 specimens of 58 species of fish and shellfish for human consumption, including sea bream. (Photo: CSIC Communication)

“According to these results, health authorities should pay special attention to the species of fish and shellfish with the highest mercury levels and make the appropriate preventive health recommendations, especially for pregnant women and children,” concludes Grimalt.

The study is titled “Wild fish and seafood species in the western Mediterranean Sea with low safe mercury concentrations”. And it has been published in the academic journal Environmental Pollution. (Source: Alicia Arroyo / IDAEA / CSIC)