Abstract
Mercury (Hg) fish and seafood contamination is a global concern and needs worldwide sea investigations in order to protect consumers. The aim of this study was to investigate the Hg concentration by means of a rapid and simple analytical technique with a direct Mercury Analyzer (DMA-80) in pelagic fish species, Tetrapturus belone (spearfish), Thunnus thynnus (tuna) and Xiphias gladius (swordfish) caught in the Mediterranean Sea. Hg contents were evaluated also in Salmo salar (salmon) as pelagic fish not belonging to the Mediterranean area. The results obtained were variable, ranging between 0.015–2.562 mg kg−1 for T. thynnus species, 0.477–3.182 mg kg−1 for X. gladius, 0.434–1.730 mg kg−1 for T. belone and 0.004–0.019 mg kg−1 for S. salar, respectively. The total Hg tolerable weekly intake (TWI) and tolerable weekly intake % (TWI%) values according to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) were calculated. The results highlighted that the pelagic species caught in the Mediterranean Sea should be constantly monitored due to their high Hg contents as well as their TWI and TWI% with respect to S. salar samples.
Highlights
The Mediterranean diet with its constituents is nowadays recognised to be one of the most healthy diets worldwide [1,2]
The results highlighted that the pelagic species caught in the Mediterranean Sea should be constantly monitored due to their high Hg contents as well as their tolerable weekly intake (TWI) and TWI% with respect to S. salar samples
According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the consumption of seafood and fish is relevant for the assessment of dietary exposure to mercury from food
Summary
The Mediterranean diet with its constituents is nowadays recognised to be one of the most healthy diets worldwide [1,2]. In addition to the several plant-based foods promoted by this diet, a moderate consumption of fish is important for its contribution of healthy nutrients such as Omega. Contamination of fish species is a potential health hazard for humans as the last component of the food chain. In this context, since the Mediterranean Sea is a closed sea, with a limited exchange of water mainly coming from the Atlantic Ocean and with a minor contribution from the Black Sea, it results to be one of the geographic areas of concern for Hg concentrations due to the ever-increasing industrialization processes [6,7,8,9,10,11]
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