Metal Load of Potentially Toxic Elements in Tuna (<i>Thunnus albacares</i>)—Food Safety Aspects
The consumption of marine fishes has a positive effect on a consumer’s health; however, it poses a potential risk due to their level of heavy metals in their body. Heavy metals can be naturally found in the environment, but their concentration can be increased with anthropogenic activities. Samples...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Foods |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/12/16/3038 |
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| author | József Lehel Zita Papp András Bartha Péter Palotás Rita Szabó Péter Budai Miklós Süth |
| author_facet | József Lehel Zita Papp András Bartha Péter Palotás Rita Szabó Péter Budai Miklós Süth |
| author_sort | József Lehel |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The consumption of marine fishes has a positive effect on a consumer’s health; however, it poses a potential risk due to their level of heavy metals in their body. Heavy metals can be naturally found in the environment, but their concentration can be increased with anthropogenic activities. Samples of tuna (<i>Thunnus albacares</i>) were collected at a fishery market. The potentially toxic elements (arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury) were determined with a validated method in the flesh of fish using inductively plasma optical emission spectrometry after microwave digestion. Generally, the average concentration of them was below the official limit values regulated by the European Union, except for lead. Based on the concentrations of arsenic (inorganic derivates: 0.05 ± 0.02 mg/kg) and cadmium (0.03 ± 0.01 mg/kg) in the tuna fish samples, and their calculated EDI values (As: 0.03–0.09 µg/kg/day; Cd: 0.05–0.07 µg/kg/day), the investigated food could be declared safe for human consumption. Generally, mercury content was below the official regulated limit, and the calculated EDI value was below the dietary reference value (0.3 μg/kg/day) in most of the samples (90%), exceeding it only in two samples (0.69 and 0.82 μg/kg/day); thus, they may not be harmful to the consumer. The concentration of lead above the official maximum limit (0.30 mg/kg) in 40% of tuna samples (0.30–1.59 mg/kg), as well as the exceeding of the dietary reference value for lead (adult: 0.16 μg/kg/day; children: 0.26 μg/kg/day) based on the calculated EDI values (0.28–1.49 μg/kg/day), draw attention to the importance of environmental pollution and the protection of consumers’ health. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T23:56:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-de879040f538447caf78303139330ec1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2304-8158 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T23:56:43Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Foods |
| spelling | doaj.art-de879040f538447caf78303139330ec12023-11-19T01:05:51ZengMDPI AGFoods2304-81582023-08-011216303810.3390/foods12163038Metal Load of Potentially Toxic Elements in Tuna (<i>Thunnus albacares</i>)—Food Safety AspectsJózsef Lehel0Zita Papp1András Bartha2Péter Palotás3Rita Szabó4Péter Budai5Miklós Süth6Department of Food Hygiene, University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, István u. 2, H-1400 Budapest, HungaryDepartment of Food Hygiene, University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, István u. 2, H-1400 Budapest, HungaryDepartment of Animal Hygiene, Herd Health and Mobile Clinic, University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, István u. 2, H-1400 Budapest, HungaryThe Fishmarket Fish Trading Company, Törökbálinti u. 23, H-2040 Budaörs, HungaryGeorgikon Campus, Institute of Plant Protection, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Deák F. u. 16, H-8360 Keszthely, HungaryGeorgikon Campus, Institute of Plant Protection, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Deák F. u. 16, H-8360 Keszthely, HungaryDepartment of Food Hygiene, University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, István u. 2, H-1400 Budapest, HungaryThe consumption of marine fishes has a positive effect on a consumer’s health; however, it poses a potential risk due to their level of heavy metals in their body. Heavy metals can be naturally found in the environment, but their concentration can be increased with anthropogenic activities. Samples of tuna (<i>Thunnus albacares</i>) were collected at a fishery market. The potentially toxic elements (arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury) were determined with a validated method in the flesh of fish using inductively plasma optical emission spectrometry after microwave digestion. Generally, the average concentration of them was below the official limit values regulated by the European Union, except for lead. Based on the concentrations of arsenic (inorganic derivates: 0.05 ± 0.02 mg/kg) and cadmium (0.03 ± 0.01 mg/kg) in the tuna fish samples, and their calculated EDI values (As: 0.03–0.09 µg/kg/day; Cd: 0.05–0.07 µg/kg/day), the investigated food could be declared safe for human consumption. Generally, mercury content was below the official regulated limit, and the calculated EDI value was below the dietary reference value (0.3 μg/kg/day) in most of the samples (90%), exceeding it only in two samples (0.69 and 0.82 μg/kg/day); thus, they may not be harmful to the consumer. The concentration of lead above the official maximum limit (0.30 mg/kg) in 40% of tuna samples (0.30–1.59 mg/kg), as well as the exceeding of the dietary reference value for lead (adult: 0.16 μg/kg/day; children: 0.26 μg/kg/day) based on the calculated EDI values (0.28–1.49 μg/kg/day), draw attention to the importance of environmental pollution and the protection of consumers’ health.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/12/16/3038marine fishheavy metaltolerable intake of metalconsumer safetyenvironmental contaminantspotential exposure |
| spellingShingle | József Lehel Zita Papp András Bartha Péter Palotás Rita Szabó Péter Budai Miklós Süth Metal Load of Potentially Toxic Elements in Tuna (<i>Thunnus albacares</i>)—Food Safety Aspects Foods marine fish heavy metal tolerable intake of metal consumer safety environmental contaminants potential exposure |
| title | Metal Load of Potentially Toxic Elements in Tuna (<i>Thunnus albacares</i>)—Food Safety Aspects |
| title_full | Metal Load of Potentially Toxic Elements in Tuna (<i>Thunnus albacares</i>)—Food Safety Aspects |
| title_fullStr | Metal Load of Potentially Toxic Elements in Tuna (<i>Thunnus albacares</i>)—Food Safety Aspects |
| title_full_unstemmed | Metal Load of Potentially Toxic Elements in Tuna (<i>Thunnus albacares</i>)—Food Safety Aspects |
| title_short | Metal Load of Potentially Toxic Elements in Tuna (<i>Thunnus albacares</i>)—Food Safety Aspects |
| title_sort | metal load of potentially toxic elements in tuna i thunnus albacares i food safety aspects |
| topic | marine fish heavy metal tolerable intake of metal consumer safety environmental contaminants potential exposure |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/12/16/3038 |
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