METHYLMERCURY LEVELS IN SEA FISH FROM CHINESE BOHAI SEA AND DONGHAI SEA

摘要

This paper presents the investigation results of methylmercury in different species of fish samples from Bohai Sea and Donghai Sea of China. The methylmercury was measured by a laboratory established liquid chromatography-atomic fluorescence spectrometry system (LC-AFS). The sample preparation procedure employed an ultrasonication assisted HCl extraction. Certified reference material GBW10029 (tuna fish) was used to validate the method and the obtained results proved to be in good agreement with the certified values. It was demonstrated that methylmercury existed in all fish species and its mean levels ranged from 5.5 to 313μg/kg(wet mass) and 12 to 72.1μg/kg(wet mass) for fish samples from China Bohai Sea and Donghai Sea respectively, all below the maximum allowable level for methylmercury in predatory fish and non predatory fish set by CAC. The estimated dietary exposures to methylmercury were below the PTWI.