Environmental Pollutants

In the mood for a tuna melt?
Choose chunk light over solid white albacore. It’s cheaper and has one-third the amount of mercury.

Fish is a great source of protein and heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. However, some types of fish contain high levels of environmental pollutants, like methylmercury, which can cause irreversible damage to the developing nervous system. Other pollutants, like PCBs and dioxins, have been associated with increased cancer risks.

Pregnant women, children under 5, and women planning on becoming pregnant should avoid highly polluted fish. In general, the bigger the fish, the more contaminants it’s likely to have. Albacore tuna contains three times the amount of mercury as the tuna used in chunk light.

Other types of fish that contain high levels of pollutants include king mackerel, tilefish, swordfish, shark and orange roughy.