Arsenic in the top predators sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus) and dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus) off the southeastern Gulf of California.

Abstract

Distribution of arsenic (As) in tissues and gonads of the Indo-Pacific sailfish Istiophorus platypterus and the dolphinfish Coryphaena hippurus from the SE Gulf of California was evaluated. The bioaccumulation patterns of As were the same in the two species. In I. platypterus, As levels (mg kg-1, wet weight) were gonads (7.4 ± 1.1) > liver (3.1 ± 0.1) > kidney (2.7 ± 0.1) > muscle (1.6 ± 0.1); in C. hippurus, As (mg kg-1) levels were gonads (4.3 ± 0.6) > liver (3.2 ± 0.2) > kidney (2.3 ± 0.1) > muscle (1.2 ± 0.1). Differences in As distribution could be attributed to the biological functions of tissues. The hypothesis was confirmed that biomagnification was evidenced by the fact that As levels were lower in prey species than in predators. Intake of muscle from either fish did not represent a risk to humans if recommended portions a week are not exceeded, adults as much as 1802.4g and 2454.1g and children 257.5 and 350.6g, for sailfish and dolphinfish, respectively. In addition, the likelihood of developing cancer due to consumption of edible tissues from either of these top predators was in the acceptable range (6.4 × 10-5 to 27.3 × 10-6 for a population that consumes 50g of muscle in a week) but if a conservative combined slope factor is used the probabilities to develop bladder and lung cancer increments from 1.1 × 10-3 to 9.1 × 10-5.