Bioaccumulation Levels and Potential Health Risks of Mercury, Cadmium, and Lead in Albacore ( Thunnus alalunga, Bonnaterre, 1788) from The Aegean Sea, Greece

Nikolaos Stamatis, Nikolaos Kamidis, Pelagia Pigada, Despoina Stergiou and Argyris Kallianiotis
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Nikolaos Stamatis: Hellenic Agricultural Organisation—Demeter, Fisheries Research Institute, N. Peramos, 64007 Kavala, Greece
Nikolaos Kamidis: Hellenic Agricultural Organisation—Demeter, Fisheries Research Institute, N. Peramos, 64007 Kavala, Greece
Pelagia Pigada: Hellenic Agricultural Organisation—Demeter, Fisheries Research Institute, N. Peramos, 64007 Kavala, Greece
Despoina Stergiou: Hellenic Agricultural Organisation—Demeter, Fisheries Research Institute, N. Peramos, 64007 Kavala, Greece
Argyris Kallianiotis: Hellenic Agricultural Organisation—Demeter, Fisheries Research Institute, N. Peramos, 64007 Kavala, Greece

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 5, 1-14

Abstract: Aegean Sea albacore ( T. alalunga ), fresh or processed, is marketed locally in Greece or exported, mainly to Japan, Italy, Spain, and France. To provide information for consumers and biomonitoring programs and assess the potential human health risks, concentrations of mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) were determined in albacore edible muscle samples from two fishing grounds of the Aegean Sea, Greece via graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GF-AAS). Of the 82 individuals, 28 contained Cd and three contained Pb above the permissible limits set by the European Union (0.1 mg kg −1 wet wt and 0.3 mg kg −1 wet wt, respectively). None of the samples contained mercury above the limit (1.0 mg kg −1 wet wt). Potential health risks to human via dietary intake of albacore were estimated by the total target hazard quotients (TTHQs), which indicated that the consumers could acquire health problems due to consumption of Aegean Sea albacore. Thus consequently, concentrations of toxic heavy metals in albacore, especially mercury, must be monitored regularly and comprehensively with respect to consumer health.

Keywords: fish; albacore tuna; toxic metals; THQs values; health risks assessment; Greece (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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