Total mercury content found in edible tissues of top predator fish from the Gulf of California, Mexico

Abstract

Fish at the top of the food chain bioaccumulate and biomagnify toxic metals including mercury (Hg), at a higher rate than nonpredatory fish. However, although some top predator fish species are important in the human diet, the risks for consumers in Mexico are difficult to evaluate due to the scarce baseline information available. In the present article, data on the total mercury (THg) concentrations found in edible tissues of different species of sharks, rays, large pelagic fishes and groupers from the Gulf of California are presented and compared with national and international health guidelines. During 2003 and 2004, 73 shark dorsal tissue samples, 52 ray samples, 66 large pelagic fish samples and 16 grouper samples were collected at different sites along the Gulf of California. Samples were digested in a microwave system and analyzed by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Thirty samples (14%) showed concentrations of Hg above the national statutory limit of 1 mg kg⁻¹, from which 25 samples were sharks and 3 were large pelagic fishes. A positive correlation was found between the natural log of THg [ln(THg)] and total length (TL cm) in species of sharks, rays and groupers. The Teacapán estuary in Sinaloa was detected as a possible source of Hg into the Gulf of California due to historic mining in the watershed. Mean Hg concentrations exceeded the regulatory limit of 1 mg kg⁻¹ in the following highly commercial shark species: smooth hammerhead, pelagic thrasher, pacific sharpnose shark, dusky shark, scalloped hammerhead, and whitenose shark, in that order. It is recommended that preventive food advisories be issued with respect to these species until further investigations are conducted.

The authors certify that the following paper has not been published elsewhere and it has not been submitted simultaneously for publication elsewhere.

Keywords:

• Mercury
• Sharks
• Gulf of California
• edible tissues
• mining

Acknowledgements

This project was funded by an International EPA Grant (No. X979307010). In the field, we received excellent assistance from the students: Julián Ríos, Humerto Ortega, Verónica Castañeda, Mónica Rivera, Juan José Rivera, Miguel Vega, Julia Jiménez, and Jennifer Rupnow. In the laboratory we received the outstanding assistance of: Lilian Marquez, Nabor Ozuna, Elena Holguín, Camille Escadafal, Martha Villegas, Norma Ramos, and Rita Ramos.

Notes

The authors certify that the following paper has not been published elsewhere and it has not been submitted simultaneously for publication elsewhere.