Total Mercury and Fatty Acids in Selected Fish Species on the Polish Market: A Risk to Human Health

Joanna Łuczyńska (), Marek Jan Łuczyński, Joanna Nowosad, Monika Kowalska-Góralska and Magdalena Senze
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Joanna Łuczyńska: Department of Commodity and Food Analysis, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Ul. Plac Cieszyński 1, 10-726 Olsztyn, Poland
Marek Jan Łuczyński: Department of Ichthyology, Hydrobiology and Ecology of Waters, The Stanisław Sakowicz Inland Fisheries Institute in Olsztyn, Ul. M. Oczapowskiego 10, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
Joanna Nowosad: Department of Veterinary Prevention and Feed Hygiene, Warmia and Mazury University, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
Monika Kowalska-Góralska: Department of Limnology and Fishery, Institute of Animal Breeding, Faculty of Biology and Animal Science, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 51-630 Wrocław, Poland
Magdalena Senze: Department of Limnology and Fishery, Institute of Animal Breeding, Faculty of Biology and Animal Science, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 51-630 Wrocław, Poland

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 16, 1-16

Abstract: The muscles of lake trout ( Salvelinus namaycush Walbaum, 1792), crucian carp ( Carassius carassius Linnaeus, 1758), flounder ( Platichthys flesus Linnaeus, 1758), gilthead seabream ( Sparus aurata Linnaeus, 1758), mackerel ( Scomber scombrus Linnaeus, 1758) and tench ( Tinca tinca Linnaeus, 1758) were examined. The total mercury (THg) was processed using the Milestone DMA-80 and the fatty acids were analyzed using the 7890A Agilent Technologies chromatograph. The THg content in analyzed fish ranged from 0.024 (lake trout) to 0.092 mg/kg wet weight (gilthead seabream). The muscles of fish examined had lower amounts of SFAs, and n-3 and n-6 PUFAs than MUFAs. The ratio of n-3/n-6 was higher in muscles of mackerel than other fish ( p < 0.05). Due to the fact that both the THQ and HI are below 1, the tested fish are safe for the consumer from a nutritional point of view. Similarly, fatty acid indices indicate the safe consumption of selected fish species, and the daily consumption of the recommended dose of EPA + DHA (250 mg/day) and the concentration of mercury in fish calculations showed a hazard quotient for the benefit–risk ratio HQ EFA below 1, suggesting that the intake of EPA + DHA poses no evident risk to human health. The ratio was calculated for a person weighing 60 kg. Therefore, it is important to monitor the fish, not only bought in the store, but also caught in various aquatic environments.

Keywords: total mercury; fatty acids; marine and freshwater fish; quality indices; gutted fish; whole fish (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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