# Does seaweed have mercury in it like tuna does?



## ombra*luna (May 1, 2003)

I don't eat fish but do eat lots of seaweed - especially arame (my current at-home favorite). Would it be contaminated by mercury because it comes from the ocean? Hope not.


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## Ponoma (Jan 11, 2002)

Here's my wag on it:

I would figure not because to the best of my knowledge
tuna are slower growing fish who eat and accumulate merc.
by digesting the smaller fish over a course of time. The sea plants, which I think are fast growing, and while probably affected by ocean pollution, true, shouldn't have the same concentrations. I can't imagine the plants
just absorbing merc? I could be way off base.

On a wild whim, why don't you email that question to either Scripps
Oceanography Institute or Woods Hole out on the East Coast.
If you can get the email forwarded to some expert there, at
least they can give you an idea if this problem has been looked into?

I would be curious to know as well.


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## PikkuMyy (Mar 26, 2004)

What holds the mercury is fat - which is why some of the fattier fish, like Mackerel, have the most mercury. (that's why it comes out in our breastmilk, because it has such a high fat content)

Seaweed doesn't have any fat, so if it has any mercury (which I doubt), it would be a MINISCULE amount.


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