Fish consumption and exposure to methylmercury

A study conducted by a team of international researchers, including Krishna Das from the Laboratory of Biological Oceanology ( FOCUS Research Unit), presents new data on the level of mercury in seven distinct populations of European seabass ( Dicentrarchus labrax ), an edible species whose flesh is highly appreciated by gourmets. Where does this element come from? Is it present locally or more globally? The study, published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology (1), provides some answers and presents very different surveys according to the fishing area. We now eat twice as much fish as we did in 1995, or 17 kilograms per capita. On a global scale, this is equivalent to the consumption of 132 billion Kg of fish each year, or nearly 4,200 Kg of fish consumed every second in the world. The seas and oceans are becoming increasingly polluted and fish are therefore increasingly exposed to these pollutants, such as mercury, a persistent toxic element in particular when it occurs in its organic form - methylmercury (MeHg) - which poses serious health risks. Although naturally present in ecosystems, human activities have increased the amount of active-cycle mercury by an estimated factor of 3-5 since industrialization. Despite current regulations, the levels of mercury still detected in marine predators still exceed environmental quality standards.