Elemental composition of selected marine organisms and seafood.
Supervisors: Iciar Martinez, Jose Antonio Carrero (UPV/EHU)
Fisheries and aquaculture production contributes significantly to the national economy. However, seafood quality and safety, especially in terms of metal contents, are of increasing concern, for both domestic and international markets. In this study the levels of 17 essential or toxic trace elements in 123 samples of fish, molluscs, cephalopods, and seafood products purchased in the Basque Country were measured by ICP-MS. Some samples of fish, mussels and fish feed were taken from previous study for comparison purposes. The concentration range (mg/kg of dry weight) for the elements determined were compared with previous studies. The results showed that the trace metal element concentrations in fish, bivalves and cephalopods samples decreased in the following order: Fe >Al >Zn >Sr >As >Mn >Cu >Sn >Ti >Ba >Pb >Se > Ni >Cd >Cr >Hg >Ag. The study contributes to increasing the knowledge on trace element accumulation in seafood according to their origin, processing (raw, cooked, and canned) and production method (farmed and wild). There were significant differences depending on the species, origin, and processing, but the only notable difference seen for production method was registered for Se. The Se-Hg ratio and HBV-Se index (Selenium Health Benefit Index) was found >1 and positive for all the samples respectively. The results support the need of applying this kind of analytical methodology in the field of aquaculture and fisheries to combat fraud and maintain seafood safety and authenticity.