Sushi Surprise: Mercury Poisoning an Ongoing Problem

Perhaps it is the creamy texture of the morsels of tuna sashimi. Or the way it effortlessly melts in my mouth with every lustful bite. Or even the mouthwatering combination of savory salmon, pungent wasabi, salty soy sauce, and sweet rice cooked to perfection. Whatever the reason may be, I love sushi. I love the feeling of invigorating healthfulness post meal. I love the way sushi is presented like a piece of art rather than a meal. I became especially fond of a sushi boat restaurant named Sushi Ondo, which I lived next door to during my seven-month stint in Tokyo. It was cheap, easily accessible, and surprisingly delicious. Yet who knew my tri-weekly visit to my favorite sushi place, could have toxic results.

Mercury poisoning is an increasingly alarming issue in our society. Sadly my favorite fresh tuna sushi, may have contained high levels of mercury, up to an alarming 1.3 parts per million (PPM). This goes well beyond the 1.0 limit of methyl mercury in seafood in the United States. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), mercury levels are the highest in tilefish, swordfish, king mackerel, and shark which can contain upwards of 4.54 PPM of mercury. Common fish or shellfish such as lobster (American), tuna, red snapper, and trout may contain some of the highest mercury levels at 1.46 PPM. Generally safe to eat fish and shellfish that have low mercury levels include: canned tuna, blue crab, Dungeness crab, salmon, oysters, shrimp and catfish with the lowest range being about 0.18 PPM.

One wonders how our bodies of water are becoming so polluted. Much of the pollution is coming from non-environmentally friendly power plants that continue to harm our environment and our fellow humans. Power plants that burn coal are among the largest contributors of mercury poisoning into the air, causing approximately 40 percent of human caused mercury release. Mercury is found in rocks such as coal and when it is burned it releases toxic mercury into the air and the surrounding environment. Mercury in the air eventually settles into our lakes and oceans where fish and shellfish are exposed to it.