Determination of toxic elements (mercury, cadmium, lead, tin and arsenic) in fish and shellfish samples. Risk assessment for the consumers

Abstract

Although fish intake has potential health benefits, the presence of metal contamination in seafood has raised public health concerns. In this study, levels of mercury, cadmium, lead, tin and arsenic have been determined in fresh, canned and frozen fish and shellfish products and compared with the maximum levels currently in force. In a further step, potential human health risks for the consumers were assessed. A total of 485 samples of the 43 most frequently consumed fish and shellfish species in Andalusia (Southern Spain) were analyzed for their toxic elements content. High mercury concentrations were found in some predatory species (blue shark, cat shark, swordfish and tuna), although they were below the regulatory maximum levels. In the case of cadmium, bivalve mollusks such as canned clams and mussels presented higher concentrations than fish, but almost none of the samples analyzed exceeded the maximum levels. Lead concentrations were almost negligible with the exception of frozen common sole, which showed median levels above the legal limit. Tin levels in canned products were far below the maximum regulatory limit, indicating that no significant tin was transferred from the can. Arsenic concentrations were higher in crustaceans such as fresh and frozen shrimps. The risk assessment performed indicated that fish and shellfish products were safe for the average consumer, although a potential risk cannot be dismissed for regular or excessive consumers of particular fish species, such as tuna, swordfish, blue shark and cat shark (for mercury) and common sole (for lead).

New Easy Method for the Monitoring of Hg Concentration in Fish, Using a Nanostructured Gold Electrode

“…For fresh tuna, the results were compared with Hg concentrations recently reported in literature by Perugini et al [22] and by Olmedo et al [23]: the former determined the level of Hg in four fish species caught in the Adriatic sea (as the considered sample) and the latter determined mercury concentration in different fish species among tuna. The results are collected in Table 4.…”

Blood biochemical changes in common carp (Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus, 1758) fed different levels of copper sulphate and zeolite

“…Organisms living in terrestrial and aquatic environments are often exposed to heavy metal pollution that sometimes because causing serious health problems such as cancer. Since heavy metals are not biologically degradable, they accumulate within the tissues of living creatures (Olmedo et al, 2013). Copper is one of the most important heavy metal pollutants that affect aquatic organisms (Mazon et al, 2002).…”

Cadmium and lead in seafood samples determined by solid phase extraction and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

“…Graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) is one of the most common techniques used for trace analysis of heavy metals as it is highly sensitivity, has low detection limits, and requires low sample volumes 12 . Direct determination of trace amounts of cadmium and lead in complicate matrices as food samples by GFAAS is usually difficult owing to interferences and insufficient detection power [13][14][15] . These difficulties however have been recently overcome by research on digestion [16][17][18] , preconcentration, and separation methods including solvent extraction, coprecipitation, ion exchange, and solid phase extraction procedures 19 .…”