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Mercury Levels in Commercial Fish and Shellfish (1990-2012)
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See also
Mercury Concentrations in Fish: FDA Monitoring Program
The table is sorted by MERCURY CONCENTRATION MEAN (PPM) from fish with lowest levels of mercury to highest levels of mercury. You may also sort the table by SPECIES in alphabetical order.
SPECIES
MERCURY CONCENTRATION
MEAN (PPM)
MERCURY CONCENTRATION
MEDIAN (PPM)
MERCURY CONCENTRATION
STDEV (PPM)
MERCURY CONCENTRATION
MIN (PPM)
MERCURY CONCENTRATION
MAX (PPM)
NO. OF SAMPLES
SOURCE OF DATA
SCALLOP
0.003
ND
0.007
ND
0.033
39
FDA 1991-2009
CLAM
0.009
0.002
0.011
ND
0.028
15
FDA 1991-2010
SHRIMP
0.009
0.001
0.013
ND
0.05
40
FDA 1991-2009
OYSTER
0.012
ND
0.035
ND
0.25
61
FDA 1991-2009
SARDINE
0.013
0.010
0.015
ND
0.083
90
FDA 2002-2010
TILAPIA
0.013
0.004
0.023
ND
0.084
32
FDA 1991-2008
SALMON (CANNED)
0.014
0.010
0.021
ND
0.086
19
FDA 1993-2009
ANCHOVIES
0.016
0.011
0.015
ND
0.049
15
FDA 2007-2009
SALMON (FRESH/FROZEN)
0.022
0.015
0.034
ND
0.19
94
FDA 1991-2009
CATFISH
0.024
0.005
0.056
ND
0.314
59
FDA 1991-2010
SQUID
0.024
0.017
0.023
ND
0.07
36
FDA 2005-2009
POLLOCK
0.031
0.003
0.089
ND
0.78
95
FDA 1991-2008
CRAWFISH
0.033
0.035
0.012
ND
0.051
46
FDA 1991-2007
SHAD
0.038
0.033
0.045
ND
0.186
15
FDA 2007-2011
MACKEREL ATLANTIC (N.Atlantic)
0.05
N/A
N/A
0.02
0.16
80
NMFS REPORT 1978
MULLET
0.050
0.014
0.078
ND
0.27
20
FDA 1991-2008
WHITING
0.051
0.052
0.030
ND
0.096
13
FDA 1991-2008
HADDOCK (Atlantic)
0.055
0.049
0.033
ND
0.197
50
FDA 1991-2009
FLATFISH [2]
0.056
0.05
0.045
ND
0.218
71
FDA 1991-2009
BUTTERFISH
0.058
N/A
N/A
ND
0.36
89
NMFS REPORT 1978
CRAB [1]
0.065
0.05
0.096
ND
0.61
93
FDA 1991-2009
CROAKER ATLANTIC (Atlantic)
0.069
0.06
0.049
ND
0.193
90
FDA 2002-2011
TROUT (FRESHWATER)
0.071
0.025
0.141
ND
0.678
35
FDA 1991-2008
HERRING
0.078
0.042
0.128
ND
0.56
27
FDA 2005-2012
HAKE
0.079
0.067
0.064
ND
0.378
49
FDA 1994-2009
JACKSMELT
0.081
0.05
0.103
0.011
0.5
23
FDA 1997-2007
MACKEREL CHUB (Pacific)
0.088
N/A
N/A
0.03
0.19
30
NMFS REPORT 1978
WHITEFISH
0.089
0.067
0.084
ND
0.317
37
FDA 1991-2008
SHEEPSHEAD
0.090
0.08
0.050
ND
0.17
8
FDA 1992-2007
LOBSTER (Spiny)
0.093
0.062
0.097
ND
0.27
13
FDA 1991-2005
PICKEREL
0.095
0.091
0.100
ND
0.31
16
FDA 1991-2007
LOBSTER (NORTHERN / AMERICAN)
0.107
0.086
0.076
ND
0.23
9
FDA 2005-2007
CARP
0.110
0.134
0.237
ND
0.271
14
FDA 1992-2007
COD
0.111
0.066
0.152
ND
0.989
115
FDA 1991-2010
PERCH OCEAN
0.121
0.102
0.125
ND
0.578
31
FDA 1991-2010
TUNA (CANNED, LIGHT)
0.126
0.077
0.134
ND
0.889
545
FDA 1991-2010
BUFFALOFISH
0.137
0.12
0.094
0.032
0.43
17
FDA 1992-2008
SKATE
0.137
N/A
N/A
0.04
0.36
56
NMFS REPORT 1978
TILEFISH (Atlantic)
0.144
0.099
0.122
0.042
0.533
32
FDA 1994-2004
TUNA (FRESH/FROZEN, SKIPJACK)
0.144
0.15
0.119
0.022
0.26
3
FDA 1993-2007
PERCH (Freshwater)
0.150
0.146
0.112
ND
0.325
19
FDA 1991-2007
MONKFISH
0.161
0.139
0.095
ND
0.289
11
FDA 1994-2007
LOBSTER (Species Unknown)
0.166
0.143
0.099
ND
0.451
71
FDA 1991-2008
SNAPPER
0.166
0.113
0.244
ND
1.366
67
FDA 1991-2007
BASS (SALTWATER, BLACK, STRIPED, ROCKFISH) [3]
0.167
0.094
0.194
ND
0.96
101
FDA 1991-2010
MAHI MAHI
0.178
0.18
0.103
ND
0.45
29
FDA 1991-2005
MACKEREL SPANISH (S. Atlantic)
0.182
N/A
N/A
0.05
0.73
43
NMFS REPORT 1978
SCORPIONFISH
0.233
0.181
0.139
0.098
0.456
6
FDA 2006-2007
WEAKFISH (SEA TROUT)
0.235
0.157
0.216
ND
0.744
46
FDA 1991-2005
HALIBUT
0.241
0.188
0.225
ND
1.52
101
FDA 1992-2009
CROAKER WHITE (Pacific)
0.287
0.28
0.069
0.18
0.41
15
FDA 1997
TUNA (CANNED, ALBACORE)
0.350
0.338
0.128
ND
0.853
451
FDA 1991-2009
BASS CHILEAN
0.354
0.303
0.299
ND
2.18
74
FDA 1994-2010
TUNA (FRESH/FROZEN, YELLOWFIN)
0.354
0.311
0.231
ND
1.478
231
FDA 1993-2010
TUNA (FRESH/FROZEN, ALBACORE)
0.358
0.36
0.138
ND
0.82
43
FDA 1992-2008
SABLEFISH
0.361
0.265
0.241
0.09
1.052
26
FDA 2004-2009
BLUEFISH
0.368
0.305
0.221
0.089
1.452
94
FDA 1991-2009
TUNA (FRESH/FROZEN, ALL)
0.386
0.34
0.265
ND
1.816
420
FDA 1991-2010
TUNA (FRESH/FROZEN, Species Unknown)
0.410
0.334
0.308
ND
1.3
122
FDA 1991-2010
GROUPER (ALL SPECIES)
0.448
0.399
0.278
0.006
1.205
53
FDA 1991-2005
MACKEREL SPANISH (Gulf of Mexico)
0.454
N/A
N/A
0.07
1.56
66
NMFS REPORT 1978
MARLIN
0.485
0.39
0.237
0.1
0.92
16
FDA 1992-1996
ORANGE ROUGHY
0.571
0.562
0.183
0.265
1.12
81
FDA 1991-2009
TUNA (FRESH/FROZEN, BIGEYE)
0.689
0.56
0.341
0.128
1.816
21
FDA 1993-2005
MACKEREL KING
0.73
N/A
N/A
0.23
1.67
213
GULF OF MEXICO REPORT 2000
SHARK
0.979
0.811
0.626
ND
4.54
356
FDA 1991-2007
SWORDFISH
0.995
0.87
0.539
ND
3.22
636
FDA 1990-2010
TILEFISH (Gulf of Mexico)
1.123
N/A
N/A
0.65
3.73
60
NMFS REPORT 1978
Source of data:
FDA 1990-2012, "National Marine Fisheries Service Survey of Trace Elements in the Fishery Resource" Report 1978, "The Occurrence of Mercury in the Fishery Resources of the Gulf of Mexico" Report 2000
ND-mercury concentration below detection level (Level of Detection (LOD)=0.01ppm)
N/A-data not available
†
The following species have been removed from the tables:
Bass (freshwater) – not commercial
‡Standard deviation data generated from data 1990 to 2012.
1
Includes: Blue, King, Snow
2
Includes: Flounder, Plaice, Sole
3
Includes: Sea bass (black, Striped), Rockfish
NOTE:
On February 8, 2006, technical changes were made to the data that was posted on January 19, 2006. The changes corrected data or more properly characterized the species of fish or shellfish sampled. On October 6, 2014, technical changes were made to allow viewers to review the list in order of mercury levels and in alphabetical order by fish species.
Mercury Concentrations in Fish: FDA Monitoring Program
Content current as of:
02/25/2022
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