Trace elements in farmed and wild gilthead seabream, Sparus aurata.
In the present study, we sought to determine the concentration of several trace elements (total and organic mercury, selenium, cadmium, lead, arsenic, copper, chromium, iron, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium and zinc) in muscle tissue of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata), an edible finfish species that is widely cultured in the Mediterranean area. The phenomenon of bioaccumulation and bioamplification (especially of mercury) was investigated by comparing farmed fish with wild specimens of the same species. Farmed specimens showed mercury and arsenic concentrations significantly lower than wild specimens, and no relationship was found between mercury concentration and body size. The lower level of methylmercury in farmed fish has important implications for consumer health.
Minganti
Vincenzo
V
Dipartimento di Chimica e Tecnologie Farmaceutiche ed Alimentari, Università di Genova, Via Brigata Salerno 13, 16147 Genova, Italy. minganti@dictfa.unige.it
Drava
Giuliana
G
De Pellegrini
Rodolfo
R
Siccardi
Camilla
C
D000818:Animals; D017756:Aquaculture; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D005506:Food Contamination; D019083:Mediterranean Region; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000032:analysis*; D021541:Sea Bream; D017747:Seafood; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis*
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds; D014131:Trace Elements