Total mercury exposure through canned tuna in oil sold in Quito, Ecuador

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Abstract

Mercury is a toxic chemical present in seafood due to its bioaccumulative nature. Given the frequent consumption of these food products, it is important to know the amount of mercury present in these products so that they can be ingested without triggering adverse health effects for consumers. Therefore, this study quantified total Hg in samples of canned tuna in oil from supermarkets in the Metropolitan District of Quito, Ecuador. Three brands of tuna were analyzed; these were coded as A, B, and C, according to their market price (A < B < C). After analysis using a direct mercury analyzer, total Hg concentrations were 0.22 ± 0.10 mg/kg; 0.63 ± 0.10 mg/ kg; and 0.36 ± 0.15 mg/kg for A, B, and C, respectively. Results indicated that total Hg content of the different brands was within the permissible limits established by surveillance regulations. However, the potential non-cancer risk of methylmercury for consumers of brand C exceeded the limit (> 1) established by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Using the highest total Hg concentration to which the Ecuadorian population is exposed through the consumption of brands A, B and C, for children (body weight 14.5 kg) and adults (body weight 70 kg), the following recommended weekly intake (g of fish/week) was determined for each brand: A: 106 and 512 g; B: 26 and 126 g; C: 64 and 307 g, respectively.

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