title: Metal Concentrations in Two Commercial Tuna Species from an Active Volcanic Region in the Mid-Atlantic Ocean.
abstract: Concentrations of cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), and lead [Pb (µg g(-1) wet weight)] were determined in liver and muscle samples of 15 bigeye (Thunnus obesus) and 15 skipjack tunas (Katsuwonus pelamis) caught over an active volcanic region in the Mid-Atlantic Ocean (Azores, Portugal) and evaluated regarding consumption safety. None of the muscle samples (edible part) exceeded the European Union (EU) maximum limits (MLs) for Hg and Pb. Cd concentrations in muscle were much greater than EU MLs with 53 and 26 % of the bigeye tuna and skipjack tuna, respectively, in exceedance of the limits. Results obtained in this work, together with other studies in the same region, support the existence of an important volcanic source of Cd in waters of the Mid-Atlantic region, which should be carefully monitored given the importance of many commercial marine species for human consumption, mainly in Europe.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Pólo dos Açores, Ponta Delgada, Açores, Portugal. biol.paulo@gmail.com.|Departamento de Biologia, Universidade dos Açores, 9500-801, Ponta Delgada, Açores, Portugal. biol.paulo@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Paulo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia, Universidade dos Açores, 9500-801, Ponta Delgada, Açores, Portugal.|Centro de Vulcanologia e Avaliação de Riscos Geológicos, Ponta Delgada, Açores, Portugal.
authors.forename: Armindo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Pólo dos Açores, Ponta Delgada, Açores, Portugal.
authors.forename: Lília
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia, Universidade dos Açores, 9500-801, Ponta Delgada, Açores, Portugal.|Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Azorean Biodiversity Group, Ponta Delgada, Portugal.
authors.forename: Patrícia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Garcia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001267:Atlantic Ocean; D002104:Cadmium / Q000378:metabolism; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D008628:Mercury / Q000378:metabolism; D008670:Metals / Q000378:metabolism*; D009132:Muscles / Q000378:metabolism; D011174:Portugal; D014413:Tuna / Q000378:metabolism*; D018707:Volcanic Eruptions; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D008670:Metals; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002104:Cadmium; D008628:Mercury