The health benefits of seafood are well-documented, but some
people avoid eating it after hearing reports of high mercury
levels. This video might help make things a little clearer.
Produced by the Dartmouth Toxic Metals Superfund Research
Program, the video explains how mercury gets into water and then
into the fish that we eat. Burning coal releases mercury into
the air and increases its concentrations in our waterways.
Depending on where in the food chain a fish is, it could have
low levels of mercury or high levels that could be unhealthy.
Eating seafood has many health benefitsâ€”it has important Omega
3 fatty acids and is low in the saturated fats you find in other
animal proteins, especially red meat. Many fish are safe and
healthy to eat. While shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish,
and tuna have higher mercury levels, there are plenty of other
options that are safe to eat. You can find responsible and
healthy seafood choices in our Sustainable Seafood Guide. Check
out the video, which also featur