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FDA Information
The FDA has detailed information on Mercury levels in all different
types of fish and seafood.
Below is information found online at:
http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~frf/sea-mehg.html
U. S. Food and Drug Administration
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
Office of Seafood
May 2001
Mercury Levels in Seafood Species
The following tables provide the mean and range of mercury levels
in a
variety of fish and shellfish:
Table 1
Fish With Highest Mercury Levels
|
SPECIES
|
MEAN
(PPM) |
RANGE
(PPM) |
NO.
OF SAMPLES |
|
Tilefish |
1.45 |
0.65-3.73 |
60 |
|
*Swordfish |
1.00 |
0.10-3.22 |
598 |
|
King
Mackerel |
0.73 |
0.30-1.67 |
213 |
|
*Shark |
0.96 |
0.05-4.54 |
324 |
Table
2
Fish and Shellfish With Much Lower Mercury Levels
|
SPECIES
|
MEAN
(PPM) |
RANGE
(PPM) |
NO.
OF SAMPLES |
|
Grouper
(Mycteroperca) |
0.43 |
0.05-1.35 |
64 |
|
Tuna
(fresh or frozen)*does not specify variety of tuna |
0.32 |
ND-1.30 |
191 |
|
*Lobster
Northern (American) |
0.31 |
0.05-1.31 |
88 |
|
Grouper
(Epinephelus) |
0.27 |
0.19-0.33 |
48 |
|
*Halibut |
0.23 |
0.02-0.63 |
29 |
|
*Sablefish |
0.22 |
ND-0.70 |
102 |
|
*Pollock |
0.20 |
ND-0.78 |
107 |
|
*Tuna
(canned) *does not specify variety of tuna |
0.17 |
ND-0.75 |
248 |
|
*Crab
Blue |
0.17 |
0.02-0.50 |
94 |
|
*Crab
Dungeness |
0.18 |
0.02-0.48 |
50 |
|
*Crab
Tanner |
0.15 |
ND-0.38 |
55 |
|
*Crab
King |
0.09 |
0.02-0.24 |
29 |
|
*Scallop |
0.05 |
ND-0.22 |
66 |
|
*Catfish |
0.07 |
ND-0.31 |
22 |
|
*Salmon
(fresh, frozen or canned) |
ND |
ND-0.18 |
52 |
|
*Oysters |
ND |
ND-0.25 |
33 |
|
*Shrimps |
ND |
ND |
22 |
Table
3
Fish With Methyl mercury Levels Based on Limited Sampling
|
SPECIES
|
MEAN
(PPM) |
RANGE
(PPM) |
NO.
OF SAMPLES |
|
*Red
Snapper |
0.60 |
0.07-1.46 |
10 |
|
Marlin
|
0.47 |
0.25-0.92 |
13 |
|
Moonfish |
0.60 |
0.60 |
1 |
|
Orange
Roughy |
0.58 |
0.42-0.76 |
9 |
|
Bass
Saltwater |
0.49 |
0.10-0.91 |
9 |
|
Trout
Freshwater |
0.42 |
1.22
(max) |
NA |
|
Bluefish |
0.30 |
0.20-0.40 |
2 |
|
Croaker |
0.28 |
0.18-0.41 |
15 |
|
Trout
Seawater |
0.27 |
ND-1.19
|
4 |
|
*Cod
(Atlantic) |
0.19 |
ND-0.33 |
11 |
|
Mahi
Mahi |
0.19 |
0.12-0.25 |
15 |
|
*Ocean
Perch |
0.18 |
ND-0.31 |
10 |
|
Haddock
(Atlantic) |
0.17 |
0.07-0.37 |
10 |
|
Whitefish |
0.16 |
ND-0.31 |
2 |
|
Herring |
0.15 |
0.016-0.28 |
8 |
|
*Spiny
Lobster |
0.13 |
ND-0.27 |
8 |
|
Perch
Freshwater |
0.11 |
0.10-0.31 |
4 |
|
Perch
Saltwater |
0.10 |
0.10-0.15 |
6 |
|
Flounder/Sole |
0.04 |
ND-0.18 |
17 |
|
*Clams |
ND |
ND |
6 |
|
Tilapia |
ND |
ND |
8 |
*Fish and shellfish among the most consumed
of the domestic seafood market
Sources of methyl mercury data:
- FDA database FY 85-99
- EPA Mercury Study Report to Congress, 1997
- A Survey of the Occurrence of Mercury in the Fishery Resources
of the Gulf of Mexico Report (2000)
- NMFS 1976, 1978 Report
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