The Most Contaminated Seafood

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

All the world's oceans and rivers are polluted with toxic chemicals; mainly pollutants resulting from decades of growing industrial activity. The health risks associated with the consumption of fish and fish oil supplements are due to the presence of these toxic contaminants, not to mention the content of saturated fats, animal proteins and cholesterol.

Oily fish such as salmon, trout and mackerel can be contaminated with chemicals, while shark, marlin and swordfish contain high levels of mercury (Consumers Association, 2002). Long-term exposure to these harmful substances poses a serious threat to health.

Particularly unpleasant class contaminants found in oily fish, is known as persistent organic pollutants (POPs). These organic pollutants are made up of complex molecules that do not break down easily in the environment. They accumulate in the food chain through bioaccumulation. This means that the level of chemicals found in animal tissue increases the higher the animal's food chain. For example, larvae could eat infected algae, the fish then ate the larvae, and the larger fish ate smaller fish, and so on. Fish at the top of the food chain (such as tuna, shark, swordfish) have the highest concentrations of POPs. Algae (which are right at the bottom of the food chain) are likely to contain much lower levels.

Based on the best data collected from around the world, we can say that POPs can be anywhere and in any species of marine fish, said biologist Scripps Sandin, co-author of the study.

Although POPs have been found in fish in all the world's oceans, researchers say that the concentrations in the meat of sea fish meat are highly variable, with POPs concentrations ranging from 1000 times in one region or group of fish. The analysis showed that the average concentrations of each POP class were significantly higher in the 1980s than they are today, with a concentration decrease of 15-30% per decade.

This means that the typical fish we eat today may have approximately 50% of the concentration of most POPs compared to the same fish that your parents eat at your age, says Bonito, lead author of the study.

The authors warn that although the concentrations of pollutants in sea fish constantly declining, they still remain quite high and that an understanding of the cumulative effect of multiple exposures to seafood contaminants is necessary to determine the specific risk to consumers.

There are several types of fish here that you should definitely avoid.

Shark

Sharks are at the top of the food chain in the ocean. This means that they eat other fish as well these fish are polluted. This contamination has a cumulative effect in the shark, which means that toxin levels continue to rise without being detoxified by the shark. Mercury is an element that never decomposes or decomposes. It usually comes from industrial enterprises. Predators such as sharks that eat other fish usually have higher levels of mercury. People eat these predatory fish as well mercury accumulates in the human body, just like he did in the shark when he ate the other fish. Over time, levels can rise too high, which can lead to mercury poisoning of the person who eats the fish.

Swordfish

Photo: Yordanka Kovacheva

Swordfish is another predator that eats contaminated fish. Swordfish are widely popular. But unfortunately this fish contains one of the highest levels of mercury. Pregnant women should avoid swordfish at all costs! Toxins contained in the fish's body can easily cross the placenta. Once passed through it, there is the potential to damage the nervous system of the unborn child.

Royal and Spanish mackerel

Royal mackerel is another predator that accumulates mercury and other toxins in its body. The older the fish and the bigger it is, the more mercury will accumulate. Some authorities believe that smaller and younger fish (under 33 inches and under 10 pounds) would be safer to eat because they did not have that long to accumulate toxins.

Spanish mackerel is similar to royal mackerel. This is a big migrant fish that is heavily contaminated with mercury. Spanish mackerel can be up to three feet long. They live near the shores and are easily contaminated with toxins that exist in our oceans from human activity.

Tuna or tuna steaks

It is often known that tuna is high in methylmercury, a neurotoxin that accumulates in marine food chains. Methylmercury is highly toxic and has negative effects on development and health, including intellectual disabilities in babies, even in the mother's womb. If you decide to eat this fish, limit yourself to one serving per week. An even better option is if the fish is canned. It is low in mercury and rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

Blue fish

This fish is a great source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids. However, it is heavily contaminated with pesticides, dangerous toxins and mercury.

This fish is getting dirty from water, which includes agricultural chemicals, industrial products and pharmaceuticals that leak into our lakes and oceans.

Pacific perch

Another fish that is also on the list of the most polluted fish. You will probably see it in many restaurants. And it is usually caught by sport fishermen. However, the sad truth is that fish in the Pacific have high levels of pollution and should be avoided.

Salmon

Because salmon is becoming so rare in the wild, 80% of the salmon consumed in America today comes from huge fish farms. These farm-raised fish actually feed on meat from wild fish caught. Commercially available fish comes with heavy doses of toxins that are concentrated in the meat of farmed fish. Farmed salmon it also has twice as much fat as wild salmon and this fat collects even more toxins. Tests on farmed salmon in the United States show that these fish are infected with more PCBs than their wild relatives. In addition, farmed salmon turn pink to introduce themselves to their wild cousins. A lawsuit was filed in Washington state in 2003 for failing to mention artificially colored labels on farmed salmon. Scientists are concerned because the dyes used in salmon can cause retinal damage.