Mercury in fish: Concentration vs . fish size and estimates of mercury intake (original) (raw)
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Mercury in commercial fish: optimizing individual choices to reduce risk
Environmental health …, 2005
Most attention to the risks from fish consumption has focused on recreational anglers and on fish caught by individuals, but the majority of fish that people eat are purchased from commercial sources. We examined mercury levels in three types of fish (tuna, flounder, bluefish) commonly available in New Jersey stores, sampling different regions of the state, in communities with high and low per capita incomes, and in both supermarkets and specialty fish markets. We were interested in species-specific levels of mercury in New Jersey fish and whether these levels were similar to data generated nationally by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA; mainly from 1990 to 1992) on the same types of fish. Such information is critical for providing public health advice. We were also interested in whether mercury levels in three common species of fish differed by region of the state, economic neighborhood, or type of store. We found significant species differences, with tuna having the highest levels and flounder the lowest levels. There were no significant differences in mercury levels as a function of type of store or economic neighborhood. There was only one regional difference: flounder from fish markets along the Jersey shore had higher mercury levels than flounder bought in other markets. We also examined mercury levels in six other commonly available fish and two shellfish from central New Jersey markets. There were significant differences in availability and in mercury levels among fish and shellfish. Both shrimp and scallops had total mercury levels < 0.02 ppm (wet weight). Large shrimp had significantly lower levels of mercury than small shrimp. For tuna, sea bass, croaker, whiting, scallops, and shrimp, the levels of mercury were higher in New Jersey samples than those reported by the FDA. Consumers selecting fish for ease of availability (present in > 50% of markets) would select flounder, snapper, bluefish, and tuna (tuna had the highest mercury value), and those selecting only for price would select whiting, porgy, croaker, and bluefish (all with average mercury levels < 0.3 ppm wet weight). Flounder was the fish with the best relationship among availability, cost, and low mercury levels. We suggest that state agencies responsible for protecting the health of their citizens should obtain information on fish availability in markets and fish preferences of diverse groups of citizens and use this information to select fish for analysis of contaminant levels, providing data on the most commonly eaten fish that will help people make informed decisions about risks from fish consumption.
Fish and fish products as risk factors of mercury exposure
Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine
Introduction and objective. Mercury is ubiquitous in the biosphere, occurring in the air, water, land, and soil, as well as in living organisms. Excessive exposure to mercury is associated with a wide range of adverse health effects including damage to the central nervous system and the kidneys. Mercury exists in many different forms in the environment which produce various patterns of toxicity. Protection of the food chain from contamination by mercury is an important task in the protection of health of the human population. Objective. The aim of the study was to monitor the concentrations of mercury in fish and fish products from food retail in Eastern Slovakia, and from the Ružín water reservoir, Košice district. Materials and method. A total of 384 samples of fish and fish products were collected for the study. Atomic absorption spectrometry standard solutions for mercury were used at a wavelength of 254 nm. Results. The majority of countries and global organizations now enforce a maximum concentration of mercury in fish of approximately 0.5 mg.kg-1. All of the 184 samples (50.52 % of the total fish samples studied) were above the maximum level set by the European Commission Regulation for mercury in fish. Conclusions. The systematic analytical control of contaminants in food is important. Mercury is concentrated in seafood, products of prey and marine fish, fish from rivers and lakes in the areas contaminated by mercury. According to the findings of this study with analyzer AMA 254, the consumption is not recommended of fish, especially seafood (meat of shark, swordfish and king mackerel), for selected groups of the population: children, women of childbearing age, pregnant women and nursing mothers.
Mercury Content in Yellowfin Tuna (Thunnus albacares) and Swordfish (Xiphias gladius) and Estimation of Mercury Intake
Mercury (Hg) is a pollutant of global importance that adversely impacts ecological and human health. A total of 140 Thunnus albacores (yellowfin tuna) and 176 of Xiphias gladius (swordfish) samples collected from the Indian Ocean around Sri Lanka in the period of July 2009 to March 2010 were examined for total mercury content and used to evaluate the mercury intake of Sri Lankan population. Total mercury concentrations of muscular tissues of fish were determined using cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry. The results indicated that the highest mercury concentration were noted in swordfish 0.90±0.52 mg/kg, wet weight and followed by yellowfin tuna (0.30±0.18 mg/kg, wet weight). The projected intake values of mercury through human consumption were calculated (µg kg -1 body wt. weekly -1 ) and were compared with those of provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) per kg body weight as stipulated by the Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) and Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA).The estimated PTWI were lower than for yellowfin tuna and swordfish stipulated guidelines and therefore, was not considered to pose adverse effects to the humans with the present fish consumption volume.
Mercury (Hg) is a pollutant of global importance that adversely impacts ecological and human health. A total of 140 Thunnus albacores (yellowfin tuna) and 176 of Xiphias gladius (swordfish) samples collected from the Indian Ocean around Sri Lanka in the period of July 2009 to March 2010 were examined for total mercury content and used to evaluate the mercury intake of Sri Lankan population. Total mercury concentrations of muscular tissues of fish were determined using cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry. The results indicated that the highest mercury concentration were noted in swordfish 0.90±0.52 mg/kg, wet weight and followed by yellowfin tuna (0.30±0.18 mg/kg, wet weight). The projected intake values of mercury through human consumption were calculated (µg kg -1 body wt. weekly -1) and were compared with those of provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) per kg body weight as stipulated by the Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) and Joint ...
Life Sciences
the vicinity of Mumbai are highly polluted owing to the heavy load of industrial pollutants and sewage discharged in to them. Size related studies on mercury accumulation in Mugil cephalus were carried out in two locations, Wehele along Ulhas river estuary and Vittawa along Thane creek. Mercury levels were found in proportion with the length of fish. The maximum safe size for consumption of M.cephalus from Wehele is 14.5 cms and that from Vittawa is 16.6 cms. In the size-related Hg accumulation in fish from Wehele, statistical evaluation by regression analysis showed best fit equation Y = -0.78689 + 0.090649 X with multiple correlation coefficient R = 0.9323 whereas in Vittawa, the best fit equation obtained by regression analysis was Y = -0.7052 + 0.072708 X and a multiple correlation co-efficient R = 0.9874 was obtained. The rate of mercury bioaccumulation was found to be same in both locations. However, the slight variation observed in the process of mercury bioaccumulation was r...
Fish consumption and bioindicators of inorganic mercury exposure
Science of The Total Environment, 2007
Background: The direct and close relationship between fish consumption and blood and hair mercury (Hg) levels is well known, but the influence of fish consumption on inorganic mercury in blood (B-IHg) and in urine (U-Hg) is unclear. Objective: Examine the relationship between fish consumption, total, inorganic and organic blood Hg levels and urinary Hg concentration. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out on 171 persons from 7 riparian communities on the Tapajós River (Brazilian Amazon), with no history of inorganic Hg exposure from occupation or dental amalgams. During the rising water season in 2004, participants responded to a dietary survey, based on a seven-day recall of fish and fruit consumption frequency, and sociodemographic information was recorded. Blood and urine samples were collected. Total, organic and inorganic Hg in blood as well as U-Hg were determined by Atomic Absorption Spectrometry. Results: On average, participants consumed 7.4 fish meals/week and 8.8 fruits/week. Blood total Hg averaged 38.6 ± 21.7 μg/L, and the average percentage of B-IHg was 13.8%. Average organic Hg (MeHg) was 33.6 ± 19.4 μg/L, B-IHg was 5.0 ± 2.6 μg/L, while average U-Hg was 7.5 ± 6.9 μg/L, with 19.9% of participants presenting U-Hg levels above 10 μg/L. B-IHg was highly significantly related to the number of meals of carnivorous fish, but no relation was observed with non-carnivorous fish; it was negatively related to fruit consumption, increased with age, was higher among those who were born in the Tapajós region, and varied with community. U-Hg was also significantly related to carnivorous but not non-carnivorous fish consumption, showed a tendency towards a negative relation with fruit consumption, was higher among men compared to women and higher among those born in the region. U-Hg was strongly related to I-Hg, blood methyl Hg (B-MeHg) and blood total Hg (B-THg). The Odds Ratio (OR) for U-Hg above 10 μg/L for those who ate N4 carnivorous fish meals/week was 4.00 [1. 83-9.20]. Conclusion: This study adds further evidence to a positive relation between fish consumption and IHg in both blood and urine, which may result from absorption of IHg from fish or from demethylation of MeHg. The findings support the importance of assessing IHg exposure in fish-eating communities. Further studies should examine the potential toxicity of IHg in heavy fish consumers.
Blood mercury levels among fish consumers residing in areas with high environmental burden
Chemosphere, 2012
Mercury is a ubiquitous, persistent toxicant found in the environment. In water, mercury bioaccumulates up the food chain and leads to high concentrations in fish. Consumption of contaminated fish is the major source of exposure to mercury in the US. The objective of this study was to enroll persons living in areas selected by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to have high mercury concentrations and who consume at least 6 oz of locally caught fish per week to determine the feasibility of monitoring future trends among a population identified as highly exposed. Blood samples were collected at time of interview and analyzed for mercury. Participants (n = 287) were enrolled from North Carolina, Maryland, and South Dakota. Participants reported eating an average of five servings of fish per week. The overall geometric mean for total mercury was 0.75 lg L À1 , with North Carolina having the highest mean level (2.02 lg L À1 ). Overall, 42% of the study population had levels greater than the US geometric mean 0.83 lg L À1 . The number of servings of fish consumed was not found to be associated with blood mercury levels. We were able to identify some persons with elevated mercury concentrations living in areas identified by EPA; however, identifying and monitoring a highly exposed population over time would be challenging.
A Comparison of Mercury in Estuarine Fish
1995
This study evaluates mercury in fish in relation to health advisory criteria in two Florida estuaries. Three hundred sixty-seven economically important gamefish were collected from the Indian River Lagoon in Martin and St. Lucie Counties and Florida Bay. Fish species collected were spotted seatrout, snook, gray snapper, jack crevalle, mayan cichlid, black drum, gafftopsail catfish, pompano, redfish, sheepshead, southern flounder and spadefish. Edible filets from these species were analyzed for mercury content.
Concentration of Total Mercury in Convenience Fish Products and Cooked Fish
South African Journal of Chemistry, 2019
Convenience fish products are very popular culinary items among South African customers because they do not require any preliminary preparation before cooking. To the best of our knowledge, convenience fish products had never been a subject of analysis for mercury (Hg) content in South Africa. A Zeeman Mercury Analyzer was used for direct determination of Hg in these products after thermal decomposition of samples followed by atomic absorption detection. The Hg concentrations in convenience fish products, namely 'Hake crumbed AA portions' and 'Hake AA portions' was found to be at a very low level (8.2 ± 1.1 ng g-1), and in the other convenience fish products 'Fish bites' and 'Battered mince portions' it was in the range of 48-64 ng g-1. In 'ready to eat' deep-fried fish, the concentrations of Hg varied in a much wider range (from 55 to 306 ng g-1). To estimate the health risk associated with Hg in these products, the safe amount of cooked in-store fish and convenience fish products have been calculated.