Is It Really Important To Be Aware Of The Pollution Levels Of Some Of our Fish?
It is intriguing to me to have learned that the simple and tiny Sardine that I've always thought would contain the most Mercury is found to contain the least of this heavy metal in PPM (parts per million).
Fish with Lowest Mercury Pollution
Mercury PPM (Parts Per Million)
- Hake .014
- Salmon .014
- Sardine .016
- Tilapia .010
Fish with Highest Mercury Pollution
Mercury PPM (Parts Per Million)
Shellfish Quantities Of Mercury
Mercury PPM (Parts Per Million)
- Lobster (North American) .310
- Oysters .013
It has been realized after some research that the size of the fish pretty well determines the Mercury pollution level contained within a given fish. It has to do with the carnivorous eating habits. The values above show that The Shark fish contains more than 60 times that of Salmon. It should be noted here that Salmon in the wild contains some of the greatest concentrations of Omega 3 oils which has been found to be very beneficial to the human body.
A note of importance about the Sardine is that it contains high concentrations of beneficial vitamins along with high quantities of much needed Calcium. It can also boast of one of the highest quantities by weight of Omega 3 essential fatty acids. Sardines are canned along with mustard, soy oil, hot sauce and sometimes even olive oil. All in all, Sardines are probably contains the highest total nutritional content of any seafood.
Lobster, in general is considered one of the best in the shellfish category of sea foods because of its low Mercury content. It does contain a fairly high level of cholesterol, but with the latest findings on the effects of cholesterol and heart disease, this is not considered any deterrence to stay away from this seafood delicacy.
