Content of Total Mercury and Methylmercury in some Commercial Fish Species of the Middle Adriatic Area

Sanja Čulin and T. Zvonarić*

Public Health Institute, Vukovarska 46, Split 
*Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, I. Meštrovića bb, Split

Article history:
Received June 15, 1994 
Accepted December 6, 1995

Key words:
antioxidants, betacyanins, betaxanthins, food colourants, pigments, reactors, red beet

Summary:
An attempt reus made to determine mercury in some commercially important fish species (hake, red mullet and pandora) from the central Adriatic Sea (Knstela Bay, Split Channel, Bay of Mali Ston and Vis Inland - open waters). The highest mass fractions of both lolal and methylmercury were recorded in fish from the Kastela Bay and the Split Channel. Kastela area used to receive considerable amounts of mercury from the chlor-alkali plant. Mass fractions were lowest in fish from the Bay of Mali Ston. Pandora showed the highest and hake the lowest mass fractions among fish species studied. As to the sex, male pandora had higher mass fractions, most probably due lo protogyny. Red mullet showed the lowest fractions. Comparison with the maximum permissible mercury level in seafood in Croatia (Official Gazette of the Republic of Croatia, No. 46/1994) shows that mercury concentrations in pandora species from the mercury contaminated areas, highly exceed the limits beyond which no sale and consumption is allowed.