title: Lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury in canned tuna fish marketed in Tehran, Iran.
abstract: Fifty-four canned tuna fish samples corresponding to 10 widely used different brands were purchased from local markets in Tehran, Iran during 2012-2013 and analysed on heavy metals. Mercury was determined by a direct mercury analyser without any sample preparation. For analysis of other elements samples were digested using a microwave apparatus. Lead and cadmium were determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry and arsenic via hydride vapour generation. All samples had arsenic and mercury contamination. Arsenic levels showed a range of 0.25-1.42 mg kg(-1), which might be due to lack of national and international limits for arsenic in canned tuna fish. Lead and cadmium were measured in a small number of samples with a mean of 0.053 ± 0.058 mg kg(-1) and 0.013 ± 0.015 mg kg(-1), respectively. Results obtained for these heavy metals in all samples were lower than the corresponding limits, whereas arsenic and mercury contents might raise some attention.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology , Pharmaceutical Sciences Branch of Islamic Azad University (IAUPS) , Tehran , Iran.
authors.forename: Shirin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Andayesh
authors.forename: Mohammad Rasoul
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Hadiani
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Mousavi
authors.forename: Shahram
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shoeibi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001151:Arsenic / Q000032:analysis; D002104:Cadmium / Q000032:analysis; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D005519:Food Preservation; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D017747:Seafood / Q000032:analysis*; D014413:Tuna
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D002104:Cadmium; D007854:Lead; D008628:Mercury; D001151:Arsenic
keywords: canned tuna fish; direct mercury analyser; graphite furnace; heavy metals; hydride generation; microwave digestion