How Much Mercury Are You Eating?

[?] Subscribe To This Site

How Much Mercury Can You Safely Eat?

How much mercury is in the fish that you eat? We have been taught that fish is good for you, and that we should eat more of it. However now our waters are polluted with mercury and PCB's (polychlorinated biphenyls.)

The fact that fish is very nutritious and a good source of omega-3 fatty acids is widely known. It has also been well established that fish is contaminated with mercury.

According to the recommendation by FAO/WHO, no one should consume more than 1.6 micrograms (mcg) of mercury per kilogram of body weight in a one week period. Find out below the amount of mercury you can consume weekly based on your weight in kilograms (your weight in pounds will be converted to kilograms).

Farm-raised tilapia is one of America's most favorite fish. Read why you should avoid it.

Weight in pounds:

Total mercury you can safely eat in 1 week (mcg)

Partial List of Fish

Name Levels of Mercury (ppm)

Canned Salmon             negligable
Whiting             negligable
Shrimp             negligable
Clams             negligable
Oysters             0.013
Salmon (fresh, frozen)             0.014
Sardines             0.016
Anchovies             0.043
Herring             0.044
Flounder             0.045
Catfish             0.049
N. Atlantic Mackerel 0.05
Scallop             0.05
Crab             0.06
Trout (freshwater) 0.072
Atlantic Cod  0.095
Tuna (canned light) 0.118
Lobster             0.149
Halibut             0.252
Trout (ocean)  0.256
Tuna (Albacore, canned) 0.353
Tuna (Albacore, fresh, frozen) 0.357
Grouper             0.465
Marlin             0.485
Orange Roughy             0.554
King Mackerel             0.730
Swordfish             0.976
Shark             0.988
Tilefish (Gulf of Mexico) 1.450

Avoid all fish which have a mercury reading of 0.252 ppm and above!

Mercury and pregnancy
Mercury contamination is increasing

Return to Home Page from How Much Mercury...