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Comparing Element Content in Small Pelagic Fish Species from Different Fishing Grounds in the Central-East Atlantic Ocean. Risk Assessment

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Abstract

Toxic metal and trace element levels in the ocean are increasing heterogeneously in the world, which is why it is important to assess their concentrations in organisms of fishing interest. The study of metal concentrations in different fishing grounds is of vital importance for nutritional control. In this study, two fishing grounds have been studied, in the Canary Islands and in Portugal, in each area 50 muscle samples have been taken from each of the studied species, Scomber colias, Sardina pilchardus, and Trachurus species from the Canary Islands (T. picturatus) and Portuguese (T. trachurus). The concentrations of Cd, Pb, Cr, Cu, V and Zn have been analyzed in mg / kg. Cd and Pb concentrations are higher in the species from the Canary Islands and may be linked to the African upwelling inputs, which greatly influence the metal concentrations of the species. The species with the highest concentration of metals and trace elements are influenced by the anthropogenic action of coastal pollution and the natural action of African upwelling and Saharan dust. The Cd and Pb concentrations determined in the muscle tissue of S. colias, T. picturatus, T. trachurus and S. pilchardus are below the maximum permitted limits set by the current legislation, and are, therefore, suitable for human consumption. But supporting very little nutritional percentage of the elements studied.

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Acknowledgements

Fish acquisition and samplings from Portugal were carried out in the framework of project CEIC—Contaminants in commercially important marine species (CEIC-MAR-01.04.02-FEAMP-0012) funded by program MAR2020. Fish acquisition and samplings from Canary Island were carried out in the framework of the Spanish National Program of collection, management and use of data in the fisheries sector and support for scientific advice regarding the Common Fisheries Policy, partially funded by the European Union through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Biología Animal Y Edafología Y Geología, Unidad Departamental de Ciencias Marinas, Universidad de La Laguna, 38206, La Laguna, Spain

    Enrique Lozano-Bilbao & Gonzalo Lozano

  2. IPMA, Portuguese Institute of Sea and Atmosphere, Rua Alfredo Magalhães Ramalho, 6, 1495-006, Lisboa, Portugal

    Joana Raimundo

  3. Instituto Español de Oceanografía. Centro Oceanográfico de Canarias, Calle Farola del Mar n. 22, 38180, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

    Alba Jurado-Ruzafa & Sebastián Jiménez

  4. Departamento de Obstetricia Y Ginecología, Área de Toxicología, Medicina Preventiva Y Salud Pública Medicina Legal Y Forense Y Parasitología Universidad de La Laguna, 38200, Pediatría Toxicología La Laguna, Spain

    Arturo Hardisson, Carmen Rubio, Soraya Paz & Ángel J. Gutiérrez

  5. Servicio Público Canario de Salud, Laboratorio Central, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

    Dailos González Weller

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  1. Enrique Lozano-Bilbao
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  2. Joana Raimundo
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Correspondence to Enrique Lozano-Bilbao.

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All authors declare that the use of animals for this research complies with the requirements of European legislation on the use of animals for experimentation. All the fish samples collected were provided by the fishermen in the fish markets, so these fish were not slaughtered by the authors of this manuscript, therefore we faithfully comply with the Code of Practice for Housing and Care of Animals Used in Scientific Procedures.

Credit Author Statement

Introduction: ELB, GL, SJ, AH, CR. Material and Methods: ELB, JR, AJR, AJG, DGW. Results and Discussion: ELB, JR, AJR, GL, SJ, AH, CR, DGW, SP, AJG. Conclusions: ELB, JR, AJR, GL, SJ, AH, CR, DGW, SP, AJG.

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Lozano-Bilbao, E., Raimundo, J., Jurado-Ruzafa, A. et al. Comparing Element Content in Small Pelagic Fish Species from Different Fishing Grounds in the Central-East Atlantic Ocean. Risk Assessment. Thalassas 37, 861–869 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41208-021-00340-1

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