Total mercury and arsenic concentrations in edible and non-edible tissues of Iranian tuna fish
Main Article Content
Keywords
total mercury, total arsenic, edible and non-edible tissues, Iranian tuna fish, atomic absorption spectrometer
Abstract
The concentration of total mercury (Hg) and arsenic (As) has been measured in edible and non-edible tissues (flesh, viscera, gill, skin, fin and tail) of two species of tuna fish including 15 yellowfin (Thunnus albacares) and 15 skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis). They were fished from Chabahar port, the Oman Sea, Iran, in April-May 2011. Atomic absorption spectrometer equipped with cold vapour and hydride generation system was used to determine total concentrations of Hg and As after microwave digestion. Based on the results, the highest and the lowest Hg contents (wet weight basis) in yellowfin and skipjack were observed in viscera (1.29±0.06 and 1.15±0.04 ?g/g), and fin and tail (0.48±0.04 and 0.30±0.08 ?g/g), respectively. Furthermore, the highest level of As accumulation in yellowfin and skipjack was found in skin (1.99±0.35 and 2.17±0.20 ?g/g, respectively), while the lowest was measured in fin and tail (0.19±0.04 and 0.23±0.03 ?g/g, respectively). Most yellowfin samples had significantly more heavy metals than skipjack samples (P<0.05). Total Hg and As levels of the flesh of fish were found to be lower than the maximum permissible limit set by the European commission and the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Therefore, the complete separation of edible and non-edible tissues during the process of canning tuna fish is critical.
References
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Storelli, M.M. and Marcotrigiano, G.O., 2001. Total mercury levels in muscle tissue of swordfish (Xiphias gladius) and bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) from the Mediterranean Sea (Italy). Journal of Food Protection 64: 1058-1061.
Tuzen, M., 2003. Determination of heavy metals in fish samples of the Middle Black Sea (Turkey) by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Food Chemistry 80: 119-123.
Tuzen, M., 2009. Toxic and essential trace elemental contents in fish species from the Black Sea, Turkey. Food and Chemical Toxicology 47: 1785-1790.
Tuzen, M., Karaman, I., C?tak, D. and Soylak, M., 2009. Mercury(II) and methyl mercury determinations in water and fish samples by using solid phase extraction and cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry combination. Food and Chemical Toxicology 47: 1648-1652.
Tuzen, M. and Soylak, M., 2007. Determination of trace metals in canned fish marketed in Turkey. Food Chemistry 101: 1378-1382.
Tzong-Shean, C. and Hon-Cheng, C., 1993. Bioaccumulation and distribution of mercury in the hard clam, Meretrix lusoria (Bivalvia: Veneidae). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C: Pharmacology, Toxicology and Endocrinology 106: 131-139.
Uluozlu, O.D., Tuzen, M., Mendil, D. and Soylak, M., 2007. Trace metal content in nine species of fish from the Black and Aegean seas, Turkey. Food Chemistry 104: 835-840.
Uysal, K., Emre, Y. and Khose, E., 2008. The determination of heavy metal accumulation ratios in muscle, skin and gills of some migratory fish species by inductively coupled plasma-optimal emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) in Beymelek Lagoon (Antalya/Turkey). Microchemical Journal 90: 67-70.
Yilmaz, A.B., Sangun, M.K, Yaglioglu, D. and Turan, C., 2010. Metals(major, essential to non-essential) composition of different tissues of three demersal fish species from Iskenderun Bay, Turkey. Food Chemistry 123: 410-415.
Agah, H., Leermakers, M., Elskens, M., Fatemi, S.M. and Baeyens, W., 2009. Accumulation of trace metals in the muscle and liver tissues of five fish species from the Persian Gulf. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 157: 499-514.
Agah, H., Leermakers, M., Gao, Y., Fatemi, S.M., Katal, M.M., Baeyens, W. and Elskens, M., 2010. Mercury accumulation in fish species from the Persian Gulf and in human hair from fishermen. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 169: 203-216.
Andersena, J.L. and Depledgeb, M.H., 1997. A survey of total mercury and methyl mercury in edible fish and invertebrates from Azorean waters. Marine Environmental Research 44: 331-350.
Arvanitoyannis, I.S. and Kassaveti, A., 2008. Fish industry waste: treatments, environmental impacts, current and potential uses. International Journal of Food Science and Technology 43: 726-745.
Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC), 1995. Official methods of analysis. Official methods of analysis of AOAC International (15th Ed.). AOAC, Gaithersburg, MD, USA.
Atta, M.B., EI-Sebaie, L.A., Noman, M.A. and Kassab, H.E., 1993. The effect of cooking on the content of heavy metals in fish (Tilapia nilotica). Food Chemistry 30: 1-4.
Berg, V., Ugland, K.I., Hareide, N.R., Groenningen, D and Skaare, J.U., 2000. Mercury, cadmium, lead, and selenium in fish from a Norwegian fjord and off the coast, the importance of sampling locality. Journal of Environmental Monitoring 2: 375-377.
Burger, J. and Gochfeld, M., 2004. Mercury in canned tuna: white versus light temporal variation. Journal of environmental research 96: 239-249.
El-Moselhy, K.H.M., 2006. Bioaccumulation of mercury in some marine organisms from Lake Timsah and Bitter lakes (Suez Canal, Egypt). Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Research 32: 124-134.
European Commission (EC), 2001. Commission Regulation (EC) no. 221/2002 of 6 February 2002 amending regulation (EC) no. 466/2002 setting maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs. Official Journal of the European Communities L37: 4.
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), 2008. Mercury as under desirable substance in animal feed, scientific opinion on contaminants in food chain. The EFSA Journal 654: 1-76.
Falcó, G., Llobet, J.N., Bocio, A. and Domingo, J.L., 2006. Daily intake of arsenic, cadmium, mercury and lead by consumption of edible marine specious. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 54: 6106-6112.
Ganjavi, M., Ezzatpanah, H., Givianrad, M.H. and Shams, A., 2010. Effect of canned tuna fish processing steps on lead and cadmium contents of Iranian tuna fish. Food Chemistry118: 525-528.
Ikem, A.N. and Egiebor, O., 2005. Assessment of trace elements in canned fishes (mackerel, tuna, salmon, sardines, and herrings) marketed in Georgia and Alabama (United States of America). Journal of Food Composition and Analysis 18: 771-787.
Islam, M.M., Bang, S., Kim, K.W., Ahmed, M.K. and Jannat, M., 2010. Heavy metal in frozen and canned marine fish of Korea. Journal of Scientific Research 2: 549-557.
Kojadinovic, J., Potier, M., Le Corre, M., Casson, R.P. and Bustamante, P., 2007. Bioaccumulation of trace elements in pelagic fish from the western Indian ocean. Environmental Pollution 146: 548-566.
Mendil, D., Uluözlü, Ö.D, Hasdemir, E., Tüzen, M., Sar?, H. and Suiçmez, M., 2005. Determination of trace metal levels in seven fish species in lakes in Tokat, Turkey. Food Chemistry 90: 175-179.
Mormede, S. and Davies, I.M., 2001. Heavy metal concentrations in commercial deep-sea fish from the Rockall Trough. Continental Shelf Research 21: 899-916.
Mortazavi, M.S and Sharifian, S., 2011. Mercury bioaccumulation in some commercially valuable marine organisms from Mosa Bay, Persian Gulf. International Journal of Environmental Research 5: 757-762.
Ovissipour, M., Benjakal, S., Safari, R. and Motamedzadegan, A., 2010. Fish protein hydrolysates production from yellowfin tuna Thunnus albacares head using Alcalase and Protamex. International Aquatic Research 2: 87-95.
Ramos, A.L., 2012. Risk assessment of methylmercury from fish consumption from Oahu, Hawaii using hair as a biomarker of exposure. MSc thesis, Faculty of San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.
Rasmussen, R.S. and Morrissey, M.T., 2008. Effects of canning on total mercury, protein, lipid, and moisture content in troll-caught albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga). Food Chemistry 101: 1130-1135.
Ruelas-Inzunza, J., Patino-Mejia, C., Soto-Jimenez, M., Barba-Quintero, G. and Spanopoulos-Hernandez, M., 2011. Total mercury in canned yellowfin tuna Thunnus albacores marketed in northwest Mexico. Food and Chemical Toxicology 49: 3070-3073.
Saei-Dehkordi, S.S., Fallah, A.A. and Nematollahi, A., 2010. Arsenic and mercury in commercially valuable fish species from the Persian Gulf: influence of season and habitat. Food and Chemical Toxicology 48: 2945-2950.
Shah, A.Q., Gul, T., Arain, M.B., Jamali, M.K., Afridi, H.I., Jalbani, N., Ahmed Baig, J. and Kandhro, G.A., 2009. Accumulation of arsenic in different fresh water fish species – potential contribution to high arsenic intakes. Food Chemistry 112: 520-524.
Shah, A.Q., Kazi, T.G., Baig, J.A., Afridi, H.I., Kandhro, G.A., Khan, S., Kolachi, N.F. and Wadhwa, S.K., 2010. Determination of total mercury in chicken feed, its translocation to different tissues of chicken and their manure using cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometer. Food and Chemical Toxicology 48: 1550-1554.
Stancheva, M., Makedonski, L. and Petrova, E., 2013. Determination of heavy metals (Pb, Cd, As and Hg) in black sea grey mullet (Mugil cephalus). Bulgarian Journal of Agricultural Science 19: 30-34.
Storelli, M.M, Barone, G., Cuttone, G., Giungato, D. and Garofalo, R., 2010. Occurrence of toxic metals (Hg, Cd and Pb) in fresh and canned tuna public health implications. Food and Chemical Toxicology 48: 3176-3170.
Storelli, M.M. and Marcotrigiano, G.O., 2001. Total mercury levels in muscle tissue of swordfish (Xiphias gladius) and bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) from the Mediterranean Sea (Italy). Journal of Food Protection 64: 1058-1061.
Tuzen, M., 2003. Determination of heavy metals in fish samples of the Middle Black Sea (Turkey) by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Food Chemistry 80: 119-123.
Tuzen, M., 2009. Toxic and essential trace elemental contents in fish species from the Black Sea, Turkey. Food and Chemical Toxicology 47: 1785-1790.
Tuzen, M., Karaman, I., C?tak, D. and Soylak, M., 2009. Mercury(II) and methyl mercury determinations in water and fish samples by using solid phase extraction and cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry combination. Food and Chemical Toxicology 47: 1648-1652.
Tuzen, M. and Soylak, M., 2007. Determination of trace metals in canned fish marketed in Turkey. Food Chemistry 101: 1378-1382.
Tzong-Shean, C. and Hon-Cheng, C., 1993. Bioaccumulation and distribution of mercury in the hard clam, Meretrix lusoria (Bivalvia: Veneidae). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C: Pharmacology, Toxicology and Endocrinology 106: 131-139.
Uluozlu, O.D., Tuzen, M., Mendil, D. and Soylak, M., 2007. Trace metal content in nine species of fish from the Black and Aegean seas, Turkey. Food Chemistry 104: 835-840.
Uysal, K., Emre, Y. and Khose, E., 2008. The determination of heavy metal accumulation ratios in muscle, skin and gills of some migratory fish species by inductively coupled plasma-optimal emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) in Beymelek Lagoon (Antalya/Turkey). Microchemical Journal 90: 67-70.
Yilmaz, A.B., Sangun, M.K, Yaglioglu, D. and Turan, C., 2010. Metals(major, essential to non-essential) composition of different tissues of three demersal fish species from Iskenderun Bay, Turkey. Food Chemistry 123: 410-415.
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Sep 11, 2014
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