Why is tuna high in mercury

Read " How Safe is Your Shrimp? Its suggestion is based on a report that concluded that the benefits of eating albacore tuna outweighed the risks, even for pregnant women. But Philippe Grandjean, M. The safe limit for exposure to methylmercury the form that accumulates in fish and shellfish was set in by the Environmental Protection Agency. Since then, many studies have found adverse effects from exposure to mercury at or even below that level.

Deborah Rice, Ph. A woman weighing about pounds would exceed it by eating more than 4. Tuna lovers should consider how much tuna they eat. Pregnant women should avoid it entirely. Three other vulnerable groups must also be careful: women of childbearing age, young children, and people who eat 24 ounces or more of any fish per week. Eat no more than 4. All others should limit their intake based on body weight. Fish are undeniably a healthy food, but they can have high levels of contaminants, too.

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Share on Pinterest. How Contaminated Is It? Species Mercury in ppm Mercury in mcg per 3 ounces 85 grams Light tuna canned 0. Body weight Reference dose per day in mcg Reference dose per week in mcg pounds 45 kg 4.

Dangers of Mercury Exposure. Some Populations Should Avoid Tuna. These small fish and organisms are eaten by bigger fish who are then eaten by even bigger fish, and on and on. The methylmercury is absorbed by the bigger animal, and — since the bigger the fish, the longer it lives and the more it eats — larger fish species accumulate a lot more methylmercury in their body.

The largest predatory fish in the sea, like sharks, swordfish and tuna, can have methylmercury concentrations in their muscles — the meat of the fish — that are 10 million times higher than those of their surrounding habitat. Which is why parents are advised against giving their kids too much canned tuna fish. Of course, who is higher than the largest fish on the food chain? Accordingly, seafood is the source of nearly all the methylmercury that we acquire in our bodies.

But there is little debate that methylmercury presents the greatest risk to fetuses, infants and children, whose growing brains and nervous systems can be adversely affected. So how do we reduce our exposure to mercury? These recommendations are based on EPA guidance and estimates of mercury in the most popular canned tunas:. By paying attention, parents can safely include tuna sandwiches in their kids' lunch boxes, in moderation. A study by the Mercury Policy Project found a wide range of mercury levels in both light and white tuna from government-sponsored school lunch programs.