Cadmium, mercury, and selenium in muscle of the scalloped hammerhead Sphyrna lewini from the tropical Eastern Pacific: Variation with age, molar ratios and human health risk

Mercury and selenium in three fish species from a dam 20 months after a mine-tailing spill in the SE Gulf of California ecoregion, Mexico

“…The accumulation pattern in the tissues was different in the three fish species; a high concentration was consistently observed in the liver of all fish species, while this behavior was only found for Hg in the tilapia. The pattern in which the liver accumulates higher metal(loid) levels has been typically observed in numerous studies regarding freshwater (Yap et al 2015 ; Páez-Osuna et al 2022 ) and marine (Ruelas-Inzunza et al 2011 , 2020 ) species. In addition to the organ specificity in the uptake, storage, regulation, and excretion abilities, the different types of exposure associated with the feeding habits of each fish species are also important.…”

“…The Se health benefit value (HBV Se ) was calculated for edible muscle with the equation (Ralston et al 2016 ): HBV Se = ([Se − Hg] / Se) × (Se + Hg). Positive results indicate that Se exceeds Hg and benefits consumers; negative values mean the contrary (Ruelas-Inzunza et al 2020 ). The magnitude of the value indicates Se surplus or deficit related to the theoretical consumption of fish muscle.…”

“…The consumption of fish that contain Hg becomes a relevant source of exposure in humans. Consequently, fish have been widely recognized as a significant dietary source of Hg exposure for coastal populations and high consumers during the last four decades, receiving continuous attention from health institutions and scientists (Ruelas-Inzunza et al 2020 ). Conversely, Se plays a vital role in biogeochemistry and is an essential element in organisms; it is required for normal growth and development due to a cofactor of enzymes (e.g .…”

Heavy metal and trace element concentrations in the blood of scalloped hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna lewini) from La Paz Bay, México

“…Many elasmobranch taxa also occupy higher trophic levels ( and muscle tissues of S. lewini, however these tissues are thought to have a slow turnover rate 115 relative to blood plasma, such that heavy metal and trace element concentrations do not necessarily reflect the current biogeochemical environment at the location in question (Kim et 117 al., 2012;Whitehead et al, 2020). Such studies generally report heavy metal and trace element 118 concentrations lower than those which would present risk to human consumers (Bergés-119 Tiznado et al, 2015, 2021Ruelas-Inzunza et al, 2020). Some biological consequences marine 120 pollution for S. lewini have also been considered (Boswell, 2015), although the extent to which 121 these results are indicative of S. lewini populations globally remains poorly constrained.…”