Heavy metal accumulation and toxicity in smoothhound (Mustelus mustelus) shark from Langebaan Lagoon, South Africa

• Published in: Food chemistry Vol. 190; pp. 871 - 878
• Main Authors: Bosch, Adina C., O’Neill, Bernadette, Sigge, Gunnar O., Kerwath, Sven E., Hoffman, Louwrens C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.01.2016
• Subjects: Animals; Arsenic; Arsenic - analysis; Arsenic - chemistry; Fishes; Heavy metals; HPLC–ICP-MS; ICP-MS; Mercury; Mercury - analysis; Mercury - chemistry; Mercury speciation; Metals, Heavy - analysis; Metals, Heavy - chemistry; Methylmercury; Methylmercury Compounds - analysis; Methylmercury Compounds - chemistry; Mustelus mustelus; Regulatory limits; Shark meat; Sharks; South Africa; South Africa; Mercury speciation; Arsenic; Methylmercury; Shark meat; ICP-MS; HPLC–ICP-MS; Mercury; Heavy metals; Mustelus mustelus; Regulatory limits
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2015.06.034

•ICP-MS and HPLC–ICP-MS were used to measure total metals and mercury species.•Total Hg levels in 37% of M. mustelus samples exceeded maximum allowable limits.•MeHg was the predominant Hg species detected and strongly correlated with total Hg.•The concentrations of 16 heavy metals (n=30) were independent of shark size.•Arsenic levels (28.31±18.79mg/kg) exceeded regulatory maximum limits. Together with several health benefits, fish meat could introduce toxins to consumers in the form of heavy metal contaminants. High levels of mercury (Hg), especially, are frequently detected in certain predatory fish species. Mustelus mustelus fillets were analysed for 16 metals and three individual Hg species (inorganic Hg, ehtylmercury, methylmercury) with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and HPLC–ICP-MS respectively. Eleven of the 30 sharks had total Hg levels above the maximum allowable limit with toxic methylmercury found as the dominant mercury species with a strong correlation (r=0.97; p<0.001) to total mercury concentrations. Limited correlations between metals and shark size parameters were observed; therefore metal accumulation in M. mustelus is mostly independent of size/age. Average values for arsenic (28.31±18.79mg/kg) exceed regulatory maximum limits and Hg (0.96±0.69mg/kg) is close to the maximum limit with all other metals well below maximum limits.