review · Heliyon
Fish is widely recognised as an essential component of a balanced diet due to its rich content of high-quality omega-3 fatty acids, protein, vitamins, and minerals. However, growing contamination from toxic substances, including methylmercury, polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxins, pesticides, and plastic waste, presents severe health hazards. Ingesting these pollutants through contaminated seafood contributes to rising global rates of morbidity and mortality. Exposure to such toxins is linked to life-threatening conditions, including cancer, kidney failure, cardiovascular diseases, and adverse neurological outcomes. Vulnerable demographics, particularly pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and young children, are disproportionately affected by these contaminants. Mitigating these health problems requires carefully balancing the nutritional benefits of fish against the toxicological risks, alongside securing more tangible evidence to protect societal wellbeing.
Fish is a primary source of vital nutrients for communities across the globe, yet environmental pollution increasingly threatens seafood safety. Clarifying the line between nutritional value and toxic exposure is essential for public health guidance. Understanding these trade-offs helps healthcare providers and consumers protect vulnerable populations, especially mothers and young children, from preventable diseases caused by chemical and plastic pollutants.
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BackgroundFish contains high-quality omega-3 fatty acids, protein, vitamins, and minerals and due to this it is termed as an essential component of a balanced diet. But there have been concerns raised about the risks of consuming fish that is contaminated with toxins such as methylmercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins, pesticides, and plastic waste. Consumption of contaminated fish containing these pollutants is raising global mortality and morbidity rates.Scope and approachesThe review examines the current research outputs on the health benefits and potential health risks of fish consumption. The review also discusses various approaches to mitigating the health problems caused by fish consumption, highlights the roles of balancing the risks and benefits when consuming fish.Key findings and conclusionDifferent findings indicated that contaminants cause cancer, kidney failure, adverse neurological effect, cardiovascular diseases, and so on to vulnerable groups such as pregnant, child breast-feeding and children. In conclusion, there is a need to get more tangible evidence about the advantages and disadvantages of fish consumption to safeguard the wellbeing of the society.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e33905
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