title: Methylmercury determination in fish and seafood products and estimated daily intake for the Spanish population.
abstract: The mercury content of 25 samples of fish and seafood products most frequently consumed in Spain was determined. A simple method comprising cold vapour and atomic absorption spectrometry was used to determine separately inorganic and organic mercury. In all samples inorganic mercury content was below 50 microg kg(-1). There was wide variability, among not only the mercury levels of different fish species, but also for different samples of the same species - with the methylmercury content ranging from below 54 to 662 microg kg(-1). The highest mean methylmercury content was found in fresh tuna. Based on an average total fish consumption of 363 g/person week(-1), the methylmercury intake was estimated to be 46.2 microg/person week(-1). Therefore, the mercury intake of Spanish people with a body weight < or = 60 kg is lower than the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) of 1.6 microg kg(-1) body weight, but exceeds the US National Research Council (NRC) limit of 0.7 microg kg(-1) body weight week(-1) based on a benchmark dose.
authors.affiliation: Nutrition and Food Chemistry and Vicente Andres Estelles, s/n, 46100 Spain.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sahuquillo
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Lagarda
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Silvestre
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Farré
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004032:Diet; D005399:Fishes; D006801:Humans; D008452:Maximum Allowable Concentration; D008630:Mercury Poisoning / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis*; D017747:Seafood / Q000032:analysis*; D013030:Spain
chemical_list: D008767:Methylmercury Compounds