Total Mercury and Fatty Acids in Selected Fish Species on the Polish Market: A Risk to Human Health

Joanna Łuczyńska; Marek Jan Łuczyński; Joanna Nowosad; Monika Kowalska-Góralska; Magdalena Senze

doi:10.3390/ijerph191610092

Total Mercury and Fatty Acids in Selected Fish Species on the Polish Market: A Risk to Human Health

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Aug 15;19(16):10092. doi: 10.3390/ijerph191610092.

Authors

Joanna Łuczyńska¹, Marek Jan Łuczyński², Joanna Nowosad^{3

4}, Monika Kowalska-Góralska⁵, Magdalena Senze⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Commodity and Food Analysis, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Ul. Plac Cieszyński 1, 10-726 Olsztyn, Poland.
² Department of Ichthyology, Hydrobiology and Ecology of Waters, The Stanisław Sakowicz Inland Fisheries Institute in Olsztyn, Ul. M. Oczapowskiego 10, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland.
³ Department of Veterinary Prevention and Feed Hygiene, Warmia and Mazury University, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland.
⁴ ChemProf, 11-041 Olsztyn, Poland.
⁵ Department of Limnology and Fishery, Institute of Animal Breeding, Faculty of Biology and Animal Science, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 51-630 Wrocław, Poland.

Abstract

The muscles of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush Walbaum, 1792), crucian carp (Carassius carassius Linnaeus, 1758), flounder (Platichthys flesus Linnaeus, 1758), gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata Linnaeus, 1758), mackerel (Scomber scombrus Linnaeus, 1758) and tench (Tinca tinca Linnaeus, 1758) were examined. The total mercury (THg) was processed using the Milestone DMA-80 and the fatty acids were analyzed using the 7890A Agilent Technologies chromatograph. The THg content in analyzed fish ranged from 0.024 (lake trout) to 0.092 mg/kg wet weight (gilthead seabream). The muscles of fish examined had lower amounts of SFAs, and n-3 and n-6 PUFAs than MUFAs. The ratio of n-3/n-6 was higher in muscles of mackerel than other fish (p < 0.05). Due to the fact that both the THQ and HI are below 1, the tested fish are safe for the consumer from a nutritional point of view. Similarly, fatty acid indices indicate the safe consumption of selected fish species, and the daily consumption of the recommended dose of EPA + DHA (250 mg/day) and the concentration of mercury in fish calculations showed a hazard quotient for the benefit−risk ratio HQEFA below 1, suggesting that the intake of EPA + DHA poses no evident risk to human health. The ratio was calculated for a person weighing 60 kg. Therefore, it is important to monitor the fish, not only bought in the store, but also caught in various aquatic environments.

Keywords: fatty acids; gutted fish; marine and freshwater fish; quality indices; total mercury; whole fish.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Carps*
Fatty Acids
Fishes
Humans
Mercury* / analysis
Poland
Sea Bream*
Seafood

Substances

Fatty Acids
Mercury

Grants and funding

The study was financed by the Statutory Theme No. 17.610.008-300 and the project was financially supported by the Minister of Education and Science through the program entitled “Regional Initiative of Excellence” for the years 2019–2022, Project No. 010/RID/2018/19; the amount of funding was 12.000.000 PLN.