Concentrations of mercury, arsenic, cadmium and lead in Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) caught off the coast of northern Norway

Abstract

In January 2006 it was reported from Russia that Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) caught in the Barents Sea had shown mercury levels exceeding the European Union's upper limit of 0.5 mg/kg wet weight (ww) for this species. These findings were confirmed in a small study from the same area. To gain more knowledge, a larger study was initiated to investigate the levels of mercury in Greenland halibut caught off the coast of northern Norway. A total of 320 Greenland halibut were caught in this area in May 2006. Individual fish were filleted and analysed for mercury, arsenic, cadmium and lead. Round weight of the fish varied between 1.1 and 8.1 kg. Fish age varied between 12 and 29 years. The highest mercury concentration measured in muscle tissue was 1.1 mg/kg ww. The highest concentrations were found in female fish. Mercury concentration was positively correlated with fish size and negatively correlated with fat content. Fish captured in the easternmost part of the investigated area had significantly lower mercury concentrations than those caught further west. Fish captured at one of the positions had particularly high average mercury concentrations, 0.52 mg/kg ww, possibly due to a combination of large size, low fat content and different prey availability. The concentrations of arsenic, cadmium and lead in the fillet samples of Greenland halibut ranged from 1.5 to 32 mg/kg ww, B0.001 to 0.02 mg/kg ww and B0.01 to 0.05 mg/kg ww, respectively. Concentrations of arsenic and mercury were positively correlated when all data were included.

Total and inorganic arsenic in fish samples from Norwegian waters

“…Total arsenic in fillet of Greenland halibut was positively correlated with the weight of the fish, although the correlation was weak (r ¼ 0.31, P < 0.001). This is in agreement with earlier results in Julshamn et al (2011). For 20 Atlantic halibut, the total arsenic concentration varied between 2.4 and 15 mg kg -1 ww, with an average of 6.8 mg kg -1 ww.…”

“…In that study, total arsenic concentrations varied between 0.5 and 52 mg kg -1 ww, with an average of 6.2 mg kg -1 ww, and both the average and the maximum concentrations of total arsenic were thus higher in the present study. The arsenic concentrations in NSS herring, mackerel, Greenland halibut and saithe obtained in the present study are consistent with previously reported concentration levels (Julshamn et al 2004;Julshamn et al 2011). The average concentration of total arsenic in tusk found in the present study was higher than the results reported by Julshamn et al (2004) where tusk from one position in the Norwegian Sea was found to have an average concentration of 1.4 mg kg -1 and a range between 0.23 and 5.1 mg kg -1 .…”

A baseline study of metals in herring (Clupea harengus) from the Norwegian Sea, with focus on mercury, cadmium, arsenic and lead

“…This was low compared with other fish species from the Norwegian and Barents Seas, such as Northeast Arctic cod (9.3 ± 16.0 mg kg À1 ww (N = 804); Julshamn et al, 2013a) and Greenland halibut (8.1 ± 6.2 mg kg À1 ww (N = 320); Julshamn et al, 2011). However, the concentrations were comparable to or somewhat higher than those found in earlier and later monitoring of NSS herring (Julshamn et al, 2004;Table S-6).…”

Determination of HeaDetermination of Some Heavy Metals in Three Fish Species from Duhok City Markets in Kurdistan of Iraq

“…Because fish is a substantial part of the diet for human, it is not surprising that the quality and the integrity aspects of fish are of special concern to human health (Rajeshkumar,et al, 2017).In the human being, heavy metals accumulation has serious effects on the brain, liver, kidneys, lungs, and muscles (Arantes,et al, 2016). In recent years the consumption of fish has increased significantly due to that fish is a significant food source of macronutrients like carbohydrates, animal protein, fatty acids, vitamins (as vitamin D and vitamin B12) (Julshamn, et al,2011), and polyunsaturated fatty acids and micronutrients (copper, zinc, iron, and selenium) for human health (Arulkumar, et al, 2017). In addition, they contain the unsaturated omega-3 fatty acids that are known to contribute to good health (Perugini, et al, 2014), and fish could be a great source of iodine and fluorine (Pirestani, et al,2014).…”