Trace elements in commercial marine organisms from the Russian part of the Northwest Pacific (2010–2018)

Abstract

We report levels of trace elements in commercially harvested species from the Far Eastern seas of Russia from 2010 to 2018. The best studied organisms in this region are algae and fish, and the least studied are crustaceans. The trace element content in target species of marine fisheries generally meets the standards of sanitary rules and norms established by the Russian Federation. However, in some cases, the maximum permissible levels (MPL) are exceeded for lead in algae and fish, cadmium in fish, and arsenic in crustaceans, which indicates the necessity to continue monitoring the commercial marine organisms. The requirements for seafood quality in Russia and the European Union (EU) are compared. European MPL limits are stricter for cadmium and lead concentrations. Also, the EU regulations do not have MPLs of arsenic (As) for all marine organisms, which is explained by the predominance of the low-toxic organic form of As in them. Thus, the regulatory documentation in Russia needs to be updated; also, a nationally standardized method of separate determination of organic and inorganic As forms should be created.