A Study on Total Mercury and Methylmercury in Commercial Tuna, Billfish, and Deep-sea Fish in Seoul Metropolitan City

Abstract

In this study, we monitored total mercury and methylmercury concentrations in tuna, billfish, and deep-sea fish distributed in Seoul city. With the acquired data, we carried out statistical analysis and an exposure assessment for intake. The mean concentrations (mg/kg) of total mercury and methylmercury were 0.32±0.31/0.20±0.20 for tuna, 0.43±0.48/0.20 ±0.17 for patagonian toothfish, 0.99±0.72/0.51±0.40 for billfish and 1.20±0.70/0.95±0.51 for sharks, respectively. We found that sharks, billfish, patagonian toothfish, and tuna were more contaminated with total mercury and methylmercury, in sequence, and that 66% of the total mercury concentration consisted of methylmercury, on average. Although the estimated weekly intakes of methylmercury from commercial deep-sea fish were lower than the weekly intakes recommended by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), we identified that the total mercury and methylmercury concentrations in tuna, billfish, and deep-sea fish continued to increase with the passage of time. Therefore, we confirmed the necessity of continuous monitoring and comprehensive analysis for general safety.

The association between mercury concentrations and lipid profiles in the Korean National Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS) cycle 3

“…In the marine environment, the inorganic form of mercury combines with organic matter from sediments and is converted into organic mercury, particularly methyl mercury, which may subsequently concentrate in higher organisms via the ocean's food chain [ 1 ]. The Korean Peninsula is surrounded by ocean on 3 sides, and Koreans are known consumers of large amounts of seafood [ 2 ]. The mercury intake in Korean adults is 18.8 μg/day, and > 90% exposure has been reported to be derived from seafood [ 3 ].…”