Pollutant Levels in Fish

Salmon farming

This photograph shows a salmon farm.

Irish Farmers' Journal

Salmon farming
Irish Farmers' Journal

Salmon farming

This photograph shows a salmon farm.

Irish Farmers' Journal

Enlarge image

Finfish and shellfish are regularly monitored for the presence of heavy metals, chlorinated compounds, dioxins and other dangerous chemicals that persist in the environment.  Results indicate that levels are low and are well within EU limits.

The Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant in Cumbria discharges radioactive waste into the Irish Sea and this is a cause for concern among Irish people. However, monitoring by the EPA of seawater, sediment, seaweed and fish indicates that levels are low and are dwarfed by natural background radiation, particularly radon gas.