Health Hazards

Fish is the most common food to obstruct the airway and cause choking. Choking on fish was responsible for about reported 4,500 accidents in the UK in 1998. In addition, fish can also cause poisoning, especially when the fish is caught in polluted areas. There are issues with fish contaminated with heavy metals such as mercury and lead, or by toxic chemicals such as those containing chlorine or bromine, dioxins or PCBs. Fish that is to be eaten should be caught in unpolluted water. Some organisations such as SeafoodWatch, RIKILT, Environmental Defense Fund, IMARES provide information on species that do not accumulate many toxins/metals.

Fish products have been shown to contain varying amounts of heavy metals, particularly mercury and fat-soluble pollutants from water pollution. According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the risk from mercury by eating fish and shellfish is not a health concern for most people. However, certain seafood contains sufficient mercury to harm an unborn baby or young child's developing nervous system. The FDA makes three recommendations for child-bearing women and young children:

1. Do not eat shark, swordfish, king mackerel, or tilefish because they contain high levels of mercury.

2. Eat up to 12 ounces (2 average meals) a week of a variety of fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury. Four of the most commonly eaten fish that are low in mercury are canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, and catfish. Another commonly eaten fish, albacore ("white tuna") has more mercury than canned light tuna. So, when choosing your two meals of fish and shellfish, you may eat up to 6 ounces (one average meal) of albacore tuna per week.

3. Check local advisories about the safety of fish caught by family and friends in your local lakes, rivers, and coastal areas. If no advice is available, eat up to 6 ounces (one average meal) per week of fish you catch from local waters, but don't consume any other fish during that week.

These recommendations are also advised when feeding fish and shellfish to young children, but in smaller portions.

Exercise 4. Find the Russian equivalents for the following:

high quality protein, to contain many vitamins, a good source of, polluted areas, unpolluted water, high levels of mercury, accumulate many toxins, to harm an unborn baby, fat-soluble pollutants, the most commonly eaten fish, contaminated with heavy metals, brain development and reproduction, the healthy functioning of the body, dietary characteristics, the safety of fish, a health concern, essential fatty acids.

Exercise 5. Find the English equivalents for the following:

разнообразие рыбы и моллюсков, не накапливает, скумбрия, семга, тунец, сайда, полосатая зубатка, консервированная рыба, употреблять в пищу, содержать много минеральных веществ и витаминов, пелагические виды рыб, рыба с белым мясом, жирная рыба, пикша, сардинки, жирорастворимые витамины.

Exercise 6. Complete the sentences using information from the text:

1. Fish provides a good source of…

2. According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the risk from mercury…

3. Four of the most commonly eaten fish that are low in mercury are…

4. Research over the past few decades has shown that…

5. If no advice is available, eat up to…

6. Nowadays, with modern techniques for freezing, storing and transporting…

7. Fish can form a very nutritious part of man's diet…

Exercise 7. Fill in the blanks with prepositions for, of, to, in, with:

1. There are issues … fish contaminated with heavy metals.

2. Fish products have been shown to contain varying amounts … heavy metals.

3. All kinds … dietary characteristics have been attributed … fish.

4. The FDA makes three recommendations … child-bearing women and young children.

5. Oily fish, as a result … its high fat content, contain a range … fat-soluble vitamins.

Exercise 8. Say if the sentences are true or false using the information from the text:

1. Fish is a food consumed only by humans.

2. Fish was purported to be particularly good for the brain.

3. The risk from mercury by eating fish and shellfish is not so large.

4. Fish that is to be eaten should be caught in unpolluted water.

5. Fish products have been shown to contain varying amounts of cholesterol.

Exercise 9. Answer the following questions:

1. Is fish considered to be a dietary product?

2. Where is fish used as a food product?

3. What changes in quality of fish with the development of modern techniques and transportation?

4. What does fish provide for consumers?

5. What is the difference between the white and fatty fish?

6. What fatty acids found in fish are very useful for people?

7. What risks can fish cause?

8. What dangerous substances can fish contain?

9. How to avoid the danger consuming the fish?

10. What average amount of fish should people consume?