Global marine fish trade networks track international pathways of nutrients and contaminants

Eco-Environment & Health 2026 Open access

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Authors: Yiou Zhu, Quang Tri Ho, James P. W. Robinson, Marian Kjellevold, Ruirong Chang, Edvin Fuglebakk, Jianmin Ma, Shijie Song, Lisbeth Dahl, Ole Jakob Nøstbakken, Maria Wik Markhus, Bente Merete Nilsen
+11 more Tanja Kögel, Anne-Katrine Lundebye, Atabak M. Azad, Abimbola Uzomah, Jeppe Kolding, Vidar S. Lien, Martin Wiech, Yanxu Zhang, Amund Maage, Livar Frøyland, Michael S. Bank
DOI: 10.1016/j.eehl.2026.100218
Cited by: 1
References: 65

Abstract

Marine fish trade globalizes nutrients and contaminants. Using trade data, human demographic information, and nutrient and contaminant exposure data, the estimated direct consumption of traded fish from Northeast Atlantic Ocean (NEAO) catches varied among 155 importer countries/regions. The associated trade pathways globalised high amounts of important nutrients including iodine, selenium, and eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid (EPA + DHA) and contributed greatly to annual domestic EPA + DHA requirements for small-population importers (e.g., Lithuania: 62.8%) but not for high-population importers (e.g., Chinese mainland). Traded amounts of mercury, dioxin, and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs) from the NEAO fish were low, and associated pathway contributions to total domestic mercury exposures were

Fields of Study & Subjects

Mercury impact and mitigation studies Isotope Analysis in Ecology Toxic Organic Pollutants Impact

Publication details

Journal / source
Eco-Environment & Health
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Volume
5
Issue
1
Pages
100218–100218
Publication date
29 January 2026
Language
EN