Are mercury levels in fishery products appropriate to ensure low risk to high fish-consumption populations?. (January 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rodrigues, Elsa T.; Coelho, João P.; Pereira, Eduarda; Pardal, Miguel A.
• Is Part Of: Marine pollution bulletin. Volume 186(2023)
• Publication Date: 2023-01
• Subjects: Mercury content in seafood -- Methylmercury -- Culinary treatments -- Food quality -- Health risk; Marine pollution -- Periodicals; Marine Biology -- Periodicals; Water Pollution -- Periodicals; Mer -- Pollution -- Périodiques; Publications périodiques; Pollution des mers; Lutte antipollution; Electronic journals; 363.7394
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114464
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0025-326X

Abstract

Abstract: The main goal of the present study is to determine the sources of methylmercury (MeHg) for high fish-consumption populations with the Portuguese population as showcase, as Portugal is the EU country with the highest fish consumption per capita (2019: 59.91 kg year −1 ). Since limited information is available on the effective levels of mercury after culinary treatments, cooked and raw codfish ( Gadus morhua ), hake ( Merluccius merluccius ), octopus ( Octopus vulgaris ), horse mackerel ( Trachurus trachurus ) and sardine ( Sardina pilchardus ) were considered. The mercury concentration ranking Hake > Horse mackerel > Codfish > Octopus > Sardine was observed in all situations (cooked and raw samples) for both MeHg and total mercury (T-Hg). The gathered results reinforce the general assumption that the loss of moisture during cooking increases MeHg and T-Hg concentrations in fish, but the idea that MeHg in fish muscle tissue represents the bulk of T-Hg cannot be generalised, as our study determined a MeHg/T-Hg ratio of 0.43 for grilled sardines. Graphical abstract: Unlabelled Image Highlights: Portugal is one of the countries with the highest per capita fish consumption rate. This study aims to determine health risks linked to fishery products consumption. Mercury concentration ranked Hake > Horse mackerel > Codfish > Octopus > Sardine. High fish-consumption groups should avoid eating boiled hake more than once a week. They should also avoid eating grilled horse mackerel more than five times per week.