Mercury in fish: concentration versus fish-size and estimates intake dose.

Maria Maddalena Storelli (1) , Grazia Barone (1) , Gaetano Piscitelli (2) , Giuseppe Marcotrigiano (3)

1 farmaco-biologico
2 Zoologia
3 Farmaco-Biologico

Total mercury concentrations were determined in different fish size classes of commercial importance such as, conger eel (Conger conger), starry ray (Raja asterias), forkbeard (Phycis blennoides), frostfish (Lepidopus caudatus), striped mullet (Mullus barbatus), red gurnard (Aspitrigla cuculus) and yellow gurnard (Trigla lucerna) in order to evaluate eventual variations in consumer exposure to mercury as a function of fish consumption of different size spectra. The highest mean levels of total mercury were detected in conger eel (0.80 μg g-1) and in starry ray (0.75 μg g-1). Forkbeard (0.67 μ g g-1), frostfish (0.59 gμ g-1) and striped mullet (0.55 μg g-1) showed slightly lower levels, while red gurnard (0.33 μg g-1) and yellow gurnard (0.22 μg g-1) exhibited the lowest concentrations. The results of the linear regression analysis showed significant relationship between mercury concentrations and fish size for all species. Consequently, dietary consumption of larger size specimens leaded to an increase in the exposure level for consumer. Understanding by consumers of all factors leading to an increase of exposure to mercury is the first step to address them to make decisions about eating fish.

Mots clés: Life Sciences

Maria Maddalena Storelli, Grazia Barone, Gaetano Piscitelli, Giuseppe Marcotrigiano. Mercury in fish: concentration versus fish-size and estimates intake dose.. Food Additives and Contaminants, 2007, 24 (12), pp.1353-1357. ⟨10.1080/02652030701387197⟩. ⟨hal-00577459⟩