Relationship between total mercury concentration and fish size in two pelagic fish species: implications for consumer health

• Published in: Journal of food protection 2006-06, Vol.69 (6), p.1402-1405
• Main Authors: Storelli, M.M, Giacominelli-Stuffler, R, Marcotrigiano, G.O
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Body Weight; Consumer Product Safety; food contamination; Food Contamination - analysis; Food industries; Food microbiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; heavy metals; Humans; length; mackerel; Marine; Maximum Allowable Concentration; maximum permissible intake; mercury; Mercury - administration & dosage; Mercury - analysis; Perciformes - metabolism; quantitative analysis; Scomber; Seafood - analysis; seafoods; Species Specificity; Trachurus; Trachurus mediterraneus; Trachurus trachurus; water pollution; weight
• ISSN: 0362-028X; 1944-9097
• DOI: 10.4315/0362-028x-69.6.1402

Total mercury concentrations were determined in different size classes of two pelagic fish species of great commercial importance, horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) and Mediterranean horse mackerel (Trachurus mediterraneus), to evaluate the relationship between total mercury concentration and fish size and to determine whether any differences might affect the quantitative assessment of mercury exposure for consumers. Mercury concentrations in horse mackerel and in Mediterranean horse mackerel were between 0.16 and 2.41 microgram g(-1) of weight wet (mean, 0.68 microgram g(-1)) and between 0.09 and 1.62 microgram g(-1) (mean, 0.51 microgram g(-1)), respectively. The regression curves revealed a significant relationship between mercury concentration and fish size (length and weight) for both species. Concentrations exceeding the proposed limit for human consumption were observed in 33.3% of the samples of both species and were associated with larger specimens. The consumption of the larger specimens could lead to an increase in mercury exposure for consumers. Estimated weekly intakes, calculated on the basis of concentrations relative to each size class, revealed a high exposure associated with the consumption of fish larger than 30 cm (horse mackerel, 11.63 to 20.16 microgram/kg of body weight; Mediterranean horse mackerel, 5.86 to 13.55 microgram/kg of body weight). An understanding of the factors leading to an increase in mercury exposure can help consumers make informed decisions about eating fish.