title: Total mercury distribution in different tissues of frigate tuna (Auxis thazard thazard) from the Atlantic Coastal Waters of Ghana, Gulf of Guinea.
abstract: Total mercury concentrations in different tissues of frigate tuna fish (Auxis thazard thazard) was determined by the cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry technique using an automatic mercury analyzer. A mixture of HNO3, HClO4 and H(2)SO(4) was used for complete oxidation of organic tissue. The concentration of mercury obtained was in the order Gills < Stomach < Gonads < Intestine < Heart < Duodenum < Liver < Muscle. The concentration of total mercury detected in the edible muscle tissue of the tuna fish tested ranged from 0.044 to 0.201 microg g(-1) (mean = 0.108 microg g(-1)) wet weight. These levels are all within the maximum allowed/recommended level in fish (0.5 mug g(-1) wet weight) set by the Food and Agriculture Organisation/World Health Organisation (FAO/WHO) and are therefore unlikely to constitute any significant mercury exposure to the general population because of consumption of tuna fish. The results of the study suggest a relatively clean marine environment that has not been significantly impacted by mercury contamination probably due to minimal industrial activity in the region.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi 233, Ghana. raybrightv@yahoo.com
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Voegborlo
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Adimado
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Ephraim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005506:Food Contamination; D005869:Ghana; D015386:Hazardous Substances / Q000032:analysis*; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis*; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014413:Tuna; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D015386:Hazardous Substances; D014873:Water Pollutants; D008628:Mercury