News
Publish date: January 10, 2009
News
The most recent monitoring results show that the content of heavy metals in Norwegian farmed salmon lies under threshold values by a good margin.
The table below compares observed levels of heavy metals in Norwegian fish with threshold values set by the EU, and clearly illustrates that the heavy metal content of Norwegian salmon does not provide grounds for concern about the health of consumers. The mercury content has fallen from 0.04 mg/kg in 1995 to below 0.02 mg/kg in 2006. For lead and cadmium the figures represent the detection values of 0.01 and 0.005 mg/kg, respectively, so that actual values may be lower.
| Arsen (As) |
Lead (Pb) |
Cadmium (Cd) |
Mercury (Hg) |
||
| Year | n | Mean (min-max) | Mean (min-max) | Mean (min-max) | Mean (min-max) |
| 2007 | 65 | 1,7 (0,9-2,8) | < 0,01 | < 0,004 | 0,03 (0,02-0,06) |
| 2006 | 64 | 1,5 (0,89-2,2) | < 0,01 | < 0,003 | (<0,01-0,026) |
| 2005 | 20 | 2,2 (1,8-3,0) | < 0,01 | (< 0,001-0,003) | 0,03 (0,02-0,04) |
| 2004 | 12 | 2,4 (1,1-3,1) | 0,002 (0,002-0,003) | < 0,001 | 0,029 (0,024-0,036) |
| 2003 | 25 | 1,6 (1,2-1,9) | < 0,01 | < 0,002 | 0,03 (0,015-0,033) |
| 2002 | 45 | 1,0 (0,9-1,9) | < 0,01 | < 0,001 | 0,02 (<0,004-0,03) |
| 2001 | 45 | 2,0 (0,6-3,1) | < 0,005 | < 0,001 | 0,02 (0,015-0,037) |
| 1998 | 18 | 2,0 (1,4-4,8) | < 0,005 | < 0,001 | 0,02 (0,008-0,038) |
| 1995 | 45 | 3,0 (1,4-4,8) | < 0,01 | < 0,001 | 0,04 (0,021-0,052) |
Source: NIFES
EU threshold values
Lead (Pb)
0.2 mg / kg for all species except eel, horse mackerel and sardine where the value is 0.4 mg / kg, while shrimp, lobster meat and crab claw meat has an upper limit of 0.5 mg / kg wet weight. Limit does not include: brown meat of crab, lobster tripe, cod liver.
Cadmium (Cd)
0.05 mg / kg for all species except eel, horse mackerel and sardine where the limits are 0.1 mg / kg, while the limits for crab claw meat and lobster meat is 0.5 mg / kg. Limit does not include: brown meat of crab, lobster tripe, cod liver.
Mercury (Hg)
0.5 mg / kg for all species other than redfish, wolf-fish, anglerfish, eel and halibut where the limit is 1.0 mg / kg. Limit does not include: crab, lobster, cod liver.
Throughout the past year, our mission at the Bellona Environmental Transparency Center has focused on two key, but intertwined issues—nuclear and radiation safety as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine drags on, and the worldwide influence of Rosatom, Russia’s state nuclear corporation, which itself is actively involved in the war and has participated in the occupation of a Ukrainian nuclear power plant.
At the beginning of the year, reports in the German and Russian press suggested an approximate 70% increase in uranium imports from Russia to Germany in 2024. But does this reflect broader European trends? It does not. Overall, imports of uranium and nuclear fuel from Russia to Western countries actually dropped sharply in 2024. Unlike the situation in Germany, this is already an established trend.
A Lingen, Germany plant could begin producing nuclear fuel in cooperation with a subsidiary of Rosatom, Russia's state nuclear corporation, which is directly involved in the war in Ukraine and occupying the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
In this news digest, we monitor events that impact the environment in the Russian Arctic. Our focus lies in identifying the factors that contribute to pollution and climate change.