![]() Therefore, it’s recommended that pregnant mothers, women who are planning to conceive in the next six months, infants, and young children limit their exposure to mercury in fish.ĭifferent fish species contain varying amounts of methylmercury, depending on levels of environmental contamination, their positions on the food chain and lifespan. The symptoms of the mercury poisoning were similar to those of the Minamata disease, and it caused central nervous system damage in infants, through their mothers’ consumption of the grains. In addition, in the early 1970s, a large methylmercury poisoning outbreak took place in Iraq, after people consumed some imported seeds dressed with a methylmercury fungicide, which were not intended for human consumption. When some pregnant women ingested the contaminated seafood, their children eventually ended up with neurodevelopmental abnormalities. And in extremely severe cases, insanity, paralysis, and even death were observed. Typical symptoms of the Minamata disease include sensory disturbances, ataxia, dysarthria, auditory disturbances, and tremors. In the 1950s and 1960s, cases of severe methylmercury poisoning were discovered in the city of Minamata in Japan, as local residents consumed fish and shellfish contaminated by mercury discharged in waste water from a chemical plant. Mercury can also cause developmental delays in children, and unborn babies’ nervous systems are the most vulnerable to the effects of mercury. As mercury can damage the central nervous system, the symptoms of mercury poisoning and having too much mercury in the body include numb or tingling fingers, lips and toes, anxiety, depression, hearing and speech difficulties, trouble walking, muscle and joint pain, irritability, memory problems, paresthesias, ataxia, and tremors. Mercury is dangerous to humans, as it is highly toxic and can result in mercury poisoning. Therefore, mercury is bioaccumulating in this food chain, until it gets into large fish, such as sharks, or humans. Small shrimps eat the methylmercury-containing plankton and then accumulate mercury in their own bodies, and they are in turn eaten by small fish, which are eaten by bigger fish. Methylmercury bioaccumulates in aquatic food chains. After being emitted, mercury cycles from rainwater into lakes and oceans, where it is digested by plankton and converted into methylmercury. ![]() coal-fired electric power plants and gold mining). Mercury can be emitted from natural sources (e.g. However, the most frequently encountered organic form of mercury, methylmercury, is readily absorbed by the human body. If it’s accidentally drunk, it doesn’t readily cross tissue barriers, so it will most likely pass through the body with very little being absorbed. Elemental mercury is liquid at room temperature. One thing unique about mercury is that it exists in nature in three forms, including elemental, inorganic, and organic. Mercury is a reactive heavy metal and widespread environmental pollutant, which can cause a wide range of adverse health effects in humans. Mercury Presence in Fish and Its Harmful Effects on Human Health We will explain the ins and outs of mercury in fish and its risk factor, as well as other risks and benefits of both consuming and not consuming fish as part of your diet. The heavy metals found in seafood include lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury, with mercury in fish giving the most cause for concern for many people. According to one definition, heavy metals are any metallic chemical elements that have a high atomic weight and a density at least five times greater than that of water. ![]() Currently, there are several definitions for heavy metal. However, seafood is minimal in the American diet, and on average only about 5 percent of Americans eat seafood more than once a week.īesides the expensive price tags, many people don’t consume fish or shellfish due to the heavy metals found in them. Delicious, rich in nutrients, and high in unsaturated fatty acids, fish are beneficial for our health. Since the beginning of recorded history, fish has always been an important source of protein for humans.
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