title: A baseline study of levels of mercury, arsenic, cadmium and lead in Northeast Arctic cod (Gadus morhua) from different parts of the Barents Sea.
abstract: This study is one of several baseline studies that will provide basic and reliable information about the content of undesirable substances in important species of fish caught in Norwegian waters. Concentrations of metals in the muscle and liver of more than 800 Northeast Arctic cod caught at 32 sites in the Barents Sea are reported. The highest concentration of both mercury in the muscle and cadmium in the liver was found in cod caught in the western part of the Barents Sea, while the highest concentration of total arsenic was found in cod from the eastern part. The arsenic concentrations varied greatly among individual fish, ranging from 0.3 to 170 mg kg(-1) wet weight in the muscle. Such high levels of total arsenic have never previously been reported in any fish, and the primary factor for these high concentrations is likely to be the shrimp in the cod diet.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research (NIFES), P.O. Box 2029 Nordnes, N-5817 Bergen, Norway. kaare.julshamn@nifes.no
authors.forename: Kaare
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Julshamn
authors.forename: Arne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Duinker
authors.forename: Bente M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Nilsen
authors.forename: Sylvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Frantzen
authors.forename: Amund
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maage
authors.forename: Stig
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Valdersnes
authors.forename: Kjell
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nedreaas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001151:Arsenic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000592:standards; D002104:Cadmium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000592:standards; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D048389:Gadus morhua / Q000378:metabolism*; D007854:Lead / Q000378:metabolism / Q000592:standards; D008628:Mercury / Q000378:metabolism / Q000592:standards; D008670:Metals / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000592:standards; D017747:Seafood / Q000032:analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000592:standards
chemical_list: D008670:Metals; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002104:Cadmium; D007854:Lead; D008628:Mercury; D001151:Arsenic