Environmental Research 165 (2018) 324–329

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Environmental Research
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/envres

Assessment of human health risk associated with methylmercury in the T

imported fish marketed in the Caribbean
Fabio Fuentes-Gandaraa, Claudia Herrera-Herreraa, José Pinedo-Hernándezb,
⁎ ⁎
José Marrugo-Negreteb, , Sergi Díezc,
a
Department of Natural and Exact Sciences, Universidad de la Costa, Calle 58 Nº 55-66, 080002, Barranquilla, Colombia
b
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Water, Applied and Environmental Chemistry Group, University of Córdoba, Monteria, Colombia
c
Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, IDÆA-CSIC, 08034 Barcelona, Spain

A R T I C LE I N FO A B S T R A C T

Keywords: The decline in marine and freshwaters catches in recent years in Colombia has led to a change in dietary habits,
Total mercury with an increase in the purchase and consumption of imported fish. This is of particular concern as fish are
Canned tuna sometimes caught in mercury-contaminated waters, and are subsequently sold canned or uncanned. In addition,
Imported fish canned tuna has received little attention as it is widely assumed that concentrations are low. In this study, total
Potential risk
mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations were evaluated in three imported fish species mar-
Colombia
keted in Colombia, Prochilodus lineatus, Prochilodus reticulatus, and Pangasianodon hypophthalmus, plus four
brands of canned tuna and one of sardines. One brand of tuna showed the highest mean concentrations of THg
(0.543 ± 0.237 μg/g, wet weight, ww) and MeHg (0.518 ± 0.337 μg/g ww), while concentrations in P. hy-
pophthalmus were approximately 30 times lower (≈0.02 µg/g ww). The estimated weekly intake (EWI) in
children was above the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) of MeHg established by the Joint FAO/World
Health Organization (WHO) Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) in 2007, 1.6 μg/kg body weight (bw)
per week, for all the canned tuna brands. Values for adults were below PTWI, whereas for women of childbearing
age, values were above PTWI only for brand D of canned tuna. The estimate of the potential risk indicated that
MeHg levels in canned tuna can generate negative effects in vulnerable groups, while the EWI of fresh fish did
not pose a threat to the general population. Therefore, establishing strategies to address the high consumption of
canned tuna, and continuous monitoring to control commercial food, are recommended to decrease Hg ex-
posure.

1. Introduction Lee, 2010; Bosch et al., 2015).

Fish have been recognized as an integral component of the diet,
providing a healthy source of energy, high-quality protein, vitamins
and a broad range of other important nutrients (Pieniak et al., 2010). In
addition, fish are an important source of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty
acids that are known to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and
contribute to the normal neurological development of children
(Mozaffarian and Wu, 2011; Swanson et al., 2012).
Despite the potential benefits of fish intake on health, chemical
contaminants contained in these products have become a topic of
concern, especially for regular fish consumers (Hightower and Moore,
2003; Burger et al., 2008; von Stackelberg et al., 2017). Trace metal
contaminants are a risk to public health as they can accumulate in
aquatic organisms (Dórea, 2008; Fuentes-Gandara et al., 2016), and
diet is the main route of exposure for the general population (Kim and
Of the trace metals, mercury (Hg) causes the most concern due to its
wide distribution, persistence and mobility in the environment, bioac-
cumulation, toxicity and trophic transfer to human beings, mainly in its
organic forms such as methylmercury (MeHg) (Díez et al., 2007;
Marrugo-Negrete et al., 2008a; Liao et al., 2016; Salazar-Camacho
et al., 2017). MeHg is the most toxic form of Hg, as it is easily bioac-
cumulated and biomagnified in the food chain (Carrasco et al., 2011;
Gewurtz et al., 2011). Since a high percentage of Hg exists as MeHg in
aquatic biota (Lacerda et al., 1994; Morel et al., 1998; Carrasco et al.,
2009), the main source of human exposure to MeHg is through fish
consumption (Rice et al., 2014), and is able to become a neurotoxic
potential agent (UNEP, 2010).
In Colombia, the per capita consumption of fishery products is
4.73 kg/year, which is low compared with countries such as Spain
(38 kg/year), Japan (54 kg/year), and the average of consumption in

⁎
Corresponding authors.
E-mail addresses: jlmarrugon@hotmail.com (J. Marrugo-Negrete), sergi.diez@idaea.csic.es (S. Díez).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2018.05.001
Received 23 January 2018; Received in revised form 5 April 2018; Accepted 3 May 2018
0013-9351/ © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
F. Fuentes-Gandara et al.
Latin America (18 kg/year) (MADR, 2013). The National Nutrition Si-
tuation Survey (ENSIN, 2010) concludes that 61% of Colombians con-
sume fish or shellfish once a month, and only 27% consume them
weekly.
According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD), production from capture fisheries has decreased
significantly (about 50%) over the last ten years, mainly due to over-
exploitation of the principally harvested species (OECD, 2016).
The decline in marine and freshwaters catches in recent years in
Colombia has led to an increase in the purchase of imported fish. Total
imports of fish products increased almost sevenfold over the period
2004–13. Imports are mainly from Vietnam, Chile, Ecuador, Senegal,
China, South Africa and, since 2013, the USA (FAO, 2015). Recently,
the National Administrative Department of Statistics of Colombia
(DANE) reported that during 2016, around 96,000 Mg of fishery pro-
ducts arrived in the country, representing an increase of 2% compared
to 2015. The most imported products are the basa fish from Vietnam,
bocachico from Argentina and Venezuela and canned fish (e.g. tuna and
sardine) from Ecuador, Chile, USA, China and Vietnam. The most no-
table trend is the importation of basa fish and canned tuna, products
that are in high demand as they are competitive, low import cost
aquaculture products sourced in Asia with a low market price.
The objectives of our study were to determine the THg and MeHg
content in imported fish products, i.e fresh and canned fish, that are the
most common and popular in Colombia, and subsequently estimate the
weekly tolerable intake of Hg with reference to the recommendations
from the international agencies.
2. Materials and methods
2.1. Collection and analysis of samples
Three fish species, and canned tuna and sardine samples, were
purchased in local stores and supermarkets located in the centre and
north of Barranquilla (northern Colombia) from September 2016 to
March 2017. The samples were selected based on their presence in
fisheries throughout the year and because they are the most common
imported fish products consumed. The samples included bocachico ar-
gentino (Prochilodus lineatus), bocachico venezolano (Prochilodus re-
ticulatus), basa fillet (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) from Vietnam and
four different brands of canned tuna (CT) from China (A), Ecuador (B
and C) and Colombia (D), and one brand of canned sardines (CS) from
Ecuador (E).
For each fish species and canned fish sample, 20 specimens and 20
cans of each brand were obtained, totalling 160 samples. Special care
was taken to maintain the physical appearance and condition of the
fresh fish samples. For each brand, we collected ten cans of tuna
shredded in vegetable oil, ten cans of tuna in water and 20 cans of
sardines in tomato sauce.
Fresh fish samples were individually packaged in labelled poly-
ethylene bags, refrigerated and transported to the laboratory for ex-
amination. Similarly, canned samples were transported unopened to
prevent contamination of samples. Dorsal muscle samples (3 cm,
weighing approximately 10 g) were dissected, and immediately frozen
and stored at −20 °C until THg and MeHg were determined. The
canned fish samples were selected according to the brands of tuna and
sardines that are certified by The National Institute of Food and Drug
Monitoring (INVIMA), with existing health registration. For each
canned fish sample, cans were opened and the water, vegetable oil or
tomato sauce was drained. The meat was homogenised using a food
blender with a stainless-steel blade.
For THg analysis, samples (0.5 g wet weight, ww) were digested
with H2SO4/HNO3, (2:1) for 2 h at 100 °C (Sadiq et al., 1991; Marrugo-
Negrete et al., 2008a), and Hg concentration was determined using cold
vapour atomic absorption spectrophotometry (CV-AAS) (Thermo Sci-
entific model iCE series 3500). Quality control was performed using
325
Environmental Research 165 (2018) 324–329
CRM IAEA-407 (THg 0.222 ± 0.024 µg g−1 dry weight, dw), and the
recovery percentage for THg was 97.0 ± 0.2%. The detection limit for
THg was 0.014 µg g−1 dw, calculated as three times the standard de-
viation (SD) of the blank (n = 7).
MeHg was analysed using gas chromatography with electron-cap-
ture detection (Marrugo-Negrete et al., 2008b) using a MeHg calibra-
tion curve (methylmercury chloride; Sigma-Aldrich, St Louis, MO,
USA). The fish samples (0.2–0.3 g) were digested with HCl, NaBr and
toluene. After centrifugation and several extraction steps with cysteine,
an aliquot of the organic phase was injected into the gas chromatograph
(Model PE Autosystem XL). The detection limit for MeHg was
0.009 µg g−1, calculated from the SD of ten blanks. Analytical quality
control of the method was performed in triplicate using dogfish muscle
CRM DORM-2 (4.47 ± 0.32 µg g−1), and the recovery percentage was
105 ± 5%.
2.2. Human health risk assessment
To estimate the potential risk, the study was based on data from a
survey on food consumption in different locations in Barranquilla. The
surveys were carried out in three local fish stores located in the centre
of the city of Barranquilla, adjacent to the public market, and also in
two national chain supermarkets located in the north. Individuals
(n = 150) from the general population that were shopping in the local
stores and supermarkets were asked for their frequency of fish con-
sumption, which species they consumed most frequently and the
number of cans and fresh fish per day. The gender, age, educational
level, social class and educational status of each subject were also re-
corded. 56% of the surveyed population was male, and around 6% of
the women surveyed were pregnant (8–24 weeks). In addition, 58% of
the population that bought fish in the local stores were at least at
secondary level in school, while in supermarkets, 63% of the buyers
were professionals. Finally, the people surveyed were a clear example
of the inhabitants of the Caribbean region as they shared certain cul-
tural traits, particularly the tradition of fish consumption.
Potential risk was evaluated from the estimated weekly intake
(EWI) of Hg per kg of bodyweight of the person exposed (μg/kg body
weight (bw)/week) using the equation described by UNEP (2008):
WI × [Hg]
EWI =
BW (1)
where WI is the weekly intake of fish (kg/week), [Hg] is the con-
centration of Hg in fish (μg /kg−1) and BW is the bodyweight of the
person in kg. In addition, the permissible concentration of MeHg in fish
for human consumption was determined. The concentration of MeHg
that the consumed fish species should contain to avoid exceeding the
EWI concentration established by FAO/WHO (2007) (e.g. the PTWI)
was estimated by considering the EWI and the amount of fish eaten per
week. Thus, MeHg content was calculated by the following equation:
[MeHg] × PTWI
[MeHg]permissible =
EWI (2)
−1
where [MeHg] is the concentration of MeHg in fish (μg /kg ) and
PTWI is the provisional tolerable weekly intake, a reference value es-
tablished by the Joint FAO/World Health Organization (WHO) Expert
Committee on Food Additives (FAO/WHO, 2017). In 2006, the JECFA
(FAO/WHO, 2007) established a PTWI for MeHg at 1.6 μg/kg bw/week
for sensitive groups such as women of childbearing age (WCA) and
young children (CHD). A higher ingestion rate (3.2 μg/kg bw/week)
was allowed for adults from the general population (AGP). The max-
imum amount of fish that can be consumed weekly per person (MFW),
without harmful effects to health, was calculated using the following
equation:
PTWI × WI
MFW =
EWI (3)
F. Fuentes-Gandara et al. Environmental Research 165 (2018) 324–329

samples) have omnivorous feeding habits, and the canned species

Fig. 1. THg and MeHg concentrations (µg/g in ww); CT: canned tuna; CS:
canned sardine. Different letters indicate significant differences (p < 0.05).
2.3. Statistical analysis
The results are presented as the means ± SD of the samples ana-
lysed. As THg and MeHg levels were not normality distributed
(Kolmogorov-Smirnov test), the Spearman test was used to assess cor-
relation. The Mann-Whitney U non-parametric test was used to evaluate
whether there were significant differences between fresh fish species
and canned fish brands. Statistical analyses were performed using the R
Project for Statistical Computing program (version 3.4.3).
3. Results and discussion
Fig. 1 shows the THg and MeHg concentrations obtained from the
samples of fresh fish species and canned fish. Two species (P. lineatus
and P. reticulatus) accounted for 25% of the samples collected and have
detritivore feeding habits. The P. hypophthalmus species (12.5% of
(62.5% of samples) have different eating habits, for example, tuna are
carnivores and sardines are planktivores. Significant differences were
observed between fresh fish samples (p < 0.05), and also between
fresh and canned samples (Fig. 1). Statistical comparisons of Hg levels
in tuna canned in water and in vegetable oil for a specific brand showed
no significant differences (p > 0.05) (Supplemental material, Table 1).
Therefore, values for a specific brand of tuna canned in water and ve-
getable oil were expressed as means (Fig. 1). The highest mean levels of
THg and MeHg (0.543 ± 0.238 and 0.518 ± 0.337 μg/g, respectively)
were found in canned tuna, which is in accordance with the literature
(Okyere et al., 2015; Alcala-Orozco et al., 2017). This can be attributed
to the fact that tuna is a predator, and can accumulate large amounts of
Hg (Nicklisch et al., 2017; Drevnick et al., 2015). Mean THg and MeHg
levels were 0.405 ± 0.111 and 0.371 ± 0.105 μg/g, respectively, for
all canned tuna brands.
The Hg levels in the fish samples were in the following order: brand
D > brand C > brand B > brand A > P. reticulatus > P. lineatus >
brand E > P. hypophthalmus. Other studies have reported a positive
correlation between trophic levels and Hg concentrations in fish,
showing biomagnification of Hg in organisms that have the highest
trophic levels (Ikemoto et al., 2008; Tadiso et al., 2011; Carrasco et al.,
2011; Fuentes-Gandara et al., 2016). Bioaccumulation and biomagni-
fication of Hg in fish depends on their habitat, size (bodyweight and
length), gender, age, the type of tissue analysed, and physiological
conditions (Raja et al., 2009; Naeem et al., 2011). Additionally, the type
of aquatic ecosystem, the degree of water pollution, Hg speciation and
bioavailability in water, pH, dissolved oxygen concentration, water
temperature and transparency, geographical location and the season in
which the fish are caught affect the Hg concentrations in various fish
species (Dural et al., 2007; Bahnasawy et al., 2009). As a result, the
differences in Hg concentration between the brands of canned fish
analysed, and even the variations between different cans, could be at-
tributed to the age of the fish (Okyere et al., 2015). It is also possible
that trace metals may contaminate fish during the canning process, for
example with lead (Okyere et al., 2015).

Table 1
Summary of studies (2007–2017) on THg (ppm) in similar fresh fish species and canned fish at various worldwide locations. C: canned; F: fresh.
Country Species/reported name C F THg ± SD Range Reference

Brazil Prochilodus lineatus X 0.062–0.378 Teodoro (2007)

Venezuela Prochilodus mariae
Brazil Prochilodus argenteus
Brazil Prochilodus nigricans
Bolivia Prochilodus nigricans
Vietnam Pangasianodon hypophthalmus
Vietnam Pangasianodon hypophthalmus
Malaysia Pangasianodon hypophthalmus
Italy Tuna not specified
Turkey Tuna not specified
Mexico Thunnus albacares
Spain Thunnus albacares
Iran Thunnus albacares
Libya Thunnus albacares
Ghana Tuna not specified
Jamaica Thunnus thynnus
Spain Thunnus albacares
Iran Thunnus albacares
Colombia Tuna not specified
USA Sardine not specified
Turkey Sardine not specified
Spain Sardine pilchardus
Ghana Sardine not specified
Jamaica Sardine pilchardus
Colombia Thunnus albacares
Prochilodus reticulatus
Prochilodus lineatus
Pangasianodon hypophthalmus
Sardine (not specified)
X 0.33 ± 0.11 Kwon et al. (2012)
X 0.004 ± 0.002 0.001–0.0084 Costa and Lacerda (2014)
X 0.0058–0.0084 Lacerda et al. (2014)
X 0.10 ± 0.03 Rivera et al. (2016)
X 0.03 ± 0.01 0.03–0.04 Orban et al. (2008)
X 0.41 ± 0.08 0.31–0.59 Ferrantelli et al. (2012)
X 0.099 ± 0.007 Mok et al. (2012)
X 0.41 0.04–1.79 Storelli et al. (2010)
X 0.14 Mol (2011)
X 0.362 Ruelas-Inzunza et al. 2011
X 0.222 0.035–0.894 Olmedo et al. (2013)
X 0.143 Hosseini et al. 2013
X 0.268 ± 0.186 0.03–0.75 Abolghait and Garbaj (2015)
X 0.16 ± 0.030 0.12–0.20 Okyere et al. (2015)
X 0.29 Ricketts et al. (2016)
X 0.306 ± 0.160 0.08–0.715 García et al. (2016)
X 0.13 ± 0.05 0.09–0.18 Sobhanardakani (2017)
X 0.66 ± 0.05 Alcala-Orozco et al. (2017)
X < 0.09 Shiber (2011)
X 0.046 ± 0.053 0.000–0.223 Mol (2011)
X 0.000–0.012 Olmedo et al. (2013)
X 0.02 ± 0.01 0.01–0.03 Okyere et al. (2015)
X 0.02 Ricketts et al. (2016)
X 0.405 ± 0.111 1.473–0.067 This study
X 0.080 ± 0.023 0.112–0.042
X 0.047 ± 0.009 0.064–0.034
X 0.019 ± 0.006 0.032–0.010
X 0.038 ± 0.005 0.045–0.031

326
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Concentrations of Hg in this study were compared with those from
recent studies (2005–2017) that included similar species (e.g. P. mariae
or Thunnus albacares) and different countries (Table 1). When compared
with other studies, Hg concentrations in P. lineatus and P. reticulatus
species from this study were lower than those reported by Teodoro
(2007) in Pantanal (Brazil), Kwon et al. (2012) in Venezuela and Rivera
et al. (2016) in Bolivia. Hg levels were one order of magnitude higher
than in similar fish species, such as P. argenteus and P. nigricans, caught
in the Jaguaribe River (Costa and Lacerda, 2014) and the Amazon basin
(Lacerda et al., 2014), respectively. The Hg levels found in the P. hy-
pophthalmus species were the lowest when compared with those from
Vietnam (Orban et al., 2008; Ferrantelli et al., 2012) and Malaysia (Mok
et al., 2012).
In this study, Hg concentrations in all the samples of canned tuna
were higher than those reported elsewhere, except for Italy (Storelli
et al., 2010) and Colombia (Alcala-Orozco et al., 2017). In the sardine
samples, Hg concentrations were low compared with other studies in
the USA (Shiber, 2011) and Turkey (Mol, 2011), however, were higher
than those reported in Spain (Olmedo et al., 2013), Ghana (Okyere
et al., 2015) and Jamaica (Ricketts et al., 2016).
The MeHg content had a statistically significant correlation with
THg content (r = 0.994, p < 0.05). The mean amount of MeHg as a
percentage of THg for all the samples was 89 ± 5% (range 81–95%),
indicating that the methylated neurotoxic organic form of Hg was
predominant in the muscle tissue of fish. Of the fish species analysed,
the highest percentage of MeHg (96%) was found in tuna.
3.1. Potential risk
In this study, the potential health risk associated with Hg was cal-
culated assuming bodyweights of 22.4 kg for children (2–10 years)
(CHD), 51.9 kg for women of childbearing age (WCA) and 64.9 kg for
the general population (AGP) (ENSIN, 2005). According to the diet
survey (n = 150), the following mean values of weekly fish intake for
canned tuna (0.285 kg), canned sardines (0.325 kg), basa (0.340 kg), P.
lineatus (0.307 kg) and P. reticulatus (0.388 kg) were used to calculate
the risk estimates.
Table 2 shows the values obtained for EWI, in fresh and canned fish,
with the highest values for WCA and AGP groups ranging from 1.19 to
2.50 µg/kg bw/week for canned tuna. The maximum EWI value for
MeHg in the CHD group was 6.59 µg/kg bw/week, about four times the
PTWI. In all the population groups, the highest EWI value was recorded
in canned tuna (brand D) and the lowest value was in panga fish, six
times lower than PTWI in the CHD group. The EWI values calculated for
the AGP group were below the PTWI, except for brand D of the canned
tuna; however, in general, did not pose a threat to the general popu-
lation. The calculated EWI values for all the fresh fish species ranged
from 0.08 to 1.3 μg/kg bw/week, with maximum values in the CHD
group that were close to the MeHg PTWI.
It is well known that eating fish is the primary route of exposure to
MeHg in most human populations. Several governments have estab-
lished legal limits on the maximum levels of Hg and/or MeHg for fish
and fishery products that can be sold commercially on the market. In
general, permitted concentrations are 0.5 µg/g ww in non-predatory
fish and 1 µg/g ww in predatory fish. These values are based on data
recommended by the Codex Alimentarius Commission as an acceptable
tolerance limit for human consumption (WHO, 2008). Similarly, the US
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has set the level at 1 µg/g in fish
and shellfish. The European Union has only set maximum levels (MLs)
for THg content in fishery products at 0.5–1.0 µg/g ww (EFSA, 2012),
but in Japan the ML is 0.4 µg/g ww (0.3 µg/g ww for MeHg) (UNEP,
2010). These values have been established for the general population,
which typically has relatively low fish consumption compared with
subsistence fishing populations, coastal communities or river fishing
villages.
At the national level, Resolution 122 from the Ministry of Health
and Social Protection of Colombia (MinSalud, 2012) established tech-
nical regulations on the chemical and microbiological requirements for
fishery products, particularly fish and shellfish, for human consump-
tion. The maximum Hg concentrations in fish products are the same as
recommended above, i.e. 0.5 µg/g, but for fish such as tuna, a limit of
1 µg/g is allowed.
According to the surveys, the amount of fish consumed weekly
ranged from 285 to 388 g/week, which is close to the calculated
amount of allowed fish weekly (MFW) (Table 2) for canned tuna (mean
value 326 g). These results suggest that young consumers should eat
only 69 g per week of canned tuna if they choose brand D. For the other
brands, more tuna can be consumed per week, because MFW values
were higher for brands A to C (100–132 g/week). Considering that the
net weight of a regular can of tuna is 160 g, these results suggest that
children should not eat any can of tuna. Pregnant women should eat no
more than two cans of tuna per week, and just one can if tuna is from
brand D. The AGP group should eat no more than four to five cans, or
less (two to three) if they choose brand D.
Different international administrations, such as the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and the FDA, are advising populations to
avoid some types of fish and eat fish that are lower in Hg and MeHg. In
Colombia, the National Institute of Food and Drug Monitoring
(INVIMA) recommend that CHD, WCA and AGP groups should eat one,
two and four cans of tuna per week, respectively. Our results are in
accordance with government recommendations, although they are
stricter for the consumption of brand D.
Balancing the risks and benefits of fish consumption is a major
public health issue. Fish provides high-quality low-fat protein and
contains healthy omega-3 fatty acids (Oken et al., 2008; Domingo et al.,
2007; Díez, 2009). Omega-3 fatty acids have primarily received the
most attention, however, there are also the potential benefits of ob-
taining selenium (Se) from fish consumption (Kaneko and Ralston,
2007; Gochfeld et al., 2012; Cusack et al., 2017; Looi et al., 2016). Se in
fish may counterbalance Hg toxicity (Khan and Wang, 2009), and it has

Table 2
Estimate of the potential risk in the population, by consumption of contaminated fish imported object of study. EWI (µg/kg bw/week) is the Estimated Weekly Intake
of MeHg; MeHgpermissible is the permissible safety level (μg/g), and MFW (g) is the estimated maximum amount of fish that can be weekly consumed per person. CHD:
children, WCA: women of childbearing age, AGP: Adults of general population.
Species common name EWIa (µg/kg bw/week) MeHg permissible (μg/g) MFW (g)

CHD WCA AGP CHD WCA AGP CHD WCA AGP

P. reticulatus (bocachico venezolano) 1.30 0.49 0.45 0.09 0.24 0.54 479 1263 2775
P. lineatus (bocachico argentino) 0.58 0.22 0.20 0.12 0.31 0.68 854 2253 4947
P. hypophthalmus (panga or basa) 0.25 0.09 0.08 0.11 0.28 0.61 2212 5837 12,820
Canned tuna (A) 3.46 1.31 1.19 0.13 0.33 0.73 132 348 764
Canned tuna (B) 3.92 1.49 1.35 0.13 0.33 0.73 116 307 674
Canned tuna (C) 4.57 1.73 1.58 0.13 0.33 0.73 100 263 579
Canned tuna (D) 6.59 2.50 2.28 0.13 0.33 0.73 69 182 401
Canned sardine (E) 0.49 0.19 0.17 0.11 0.29 0.64 1060 2796 6141

a
PTWI: 1.6 µg/kg bw/week for children (CHD) and women of childbearing age (WCA); PTWI: 3.2 µg/kg bw/week for adults (AGP).

327
F. Fuentes-Gandara et al.
been suggested that a Se to Hg molar ratio of 1:1 should be taken into
account in risk assessments (Ralston et al., 2016). Further studies in-
volving the Hg:Se ratios in fresh fish and canned fish are needed to
provide an improved assessment of the risks of Hg.
4. Conclusions
The results in this study showed that the highest concentrations of
MeHg in the imported fishery products were in canned tuna, particu-
larly in brand D. Most of the THg levels were lower than those reported
in investigations worldwide and were below the limits set by national
and international organisations. The values obtained for EWI indicate
risks that are dependent on the target group and the sample analysed.
Accordingly, since values for canned tuna (brand D) were above the
reference value, there was evidence of a potential health risk for chil-
dren up to 10 years and for sensitive groups such as women of child-
bearing age. For the general population, EWI values are below the
PTWI. Nevertheless, regulatory measures and public education re-
garding the risks of MeHg in canned tuna should be considered to
protect children and the fetuses of pregnant women. These measures
should take into account the number of cans consumed per week, de-
pending on the brand, and also the levels of Hg in the fresh fish con-
sumed. Therefore, it is important to establish strategies to address the
consumption of canned tuna and continuous monitoring is required to
regulate commercial food and decrease Hg exposure.
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to Universidad de la Costa for financial
support and the Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental
Management of the Universidad de Córdoba (project code FCB0114/
2014) by their collaboration to analyse the concentrations of the metals
in the studied species.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests.
Appendix A. Supporting information
Supplementary data associated with this article can be found in the
online version at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2018.05.001.
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