Marisela Aguilar-Juárez

Cadmium, Copper, Lead, and Zinc Contents of Fish Marketed in NW Mexico

To assess if they were within the safety limits for human consumption, the Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn contents of fish muscles, bought from separate stalls of the fish markets of nine cities of NW Mexico, were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Considering all fish and markets, the mean contents were Zn: 23.23 ± 5.83, Cu: 1.72 ± 0.63, Cd: 0.27 ± 0.07, and Pb: 0.09 ± 0.04 µg/g (dry weight). Cu, Zn, and Pb did not reach levels of concern for human consumption, but the high Cd values determined in Mazatlán (Mugil cephalus: 0.48 ± 0.15; Diapterus spp.: 0.57 ± 0.33; Lutjanus spp.: 0.72 ± 0.12; small shark: 0.87 ± 0.19 µg/g dry weight) indicate that this was the only metal of concern for human health because the daily individual consumption of fish muscle to reach the PTDI would be within 0.27 and 0.41 kg.

Total Mercury in Mugil spp and Eugerres axillaris of a Subtropical Lagoon of NW Mexico.

The mercury content of mullets and black mojarras of Urías lagoon (NW Mexico) were determined every second month from November 2012 to September 2013, to determine differences related to season or to trophic levels. The Hg contents of the muscle were significantly higher in mojarras, confirming that Hg contents tend to increase along the food chain, while the levels in liver were higher in mullets, suggesting different Hg storage strategies of these species. In mullets, the content of muscles did not vary seasonally and was significantly lower than in the liver. In black mojarras there were no significant differences between muscle and liver, and the lowest mean values were in May in both tissues. Given the low Hg contents, both species are safe for human consumption, but care should be taken in traditional fishing communities.