Mercury and methylmercury levels in the main traded fish species in Hong Kong

Abstract

Levels of total mercury (tHg) and mono-methylmercury (MeHg) were measured in 280 different fish, including fresh/frozen raw whole fish of 89 different species and canned tuna fish of three different species, that are traded mainly in Hong Kong, China. These samples were purchased from different commercial outlets between April and August 2007. All samples of raw whole fish were identified at species level by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. The range for tHg and MeHg of all samples were 3–1370 and 3–1010 µg kg⁻¹, respectively, with medians of 63 and 48 µg kg⁻¹, respectively. The results show that, according to Hong Kong legislation, the products on the market are generally ‘safe’. A total of 277 samples (99?) contained tHg and MeHg below the legal limit of 500 µg kg⁻¹. The remaining three samples of alfonsino (species: Beryx splendens) were found to contain tHg and MeHg at levels higher than 500 µg kg⁻¹ (tHg: 609–1370 µg kg⁻¹; MeHg: 509–1010 µg kg⁻¹). The ratios of MeHg to tHg in the different fish species ranged from 0.46 to 0.99.

Keywords:

• total mercury
• methylmercury
• flow injection mercury analyser (FIMS)
• gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), Hong Kong
• fish species

Acknowledgements

Special thanks are extended to Ms Valerie C. M. Ho and Dr Albert W. Y. Leung, Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, who conducted the fish species identification.