Incidence of heavy metals residues in salted and smoked fish products.

摘要

A total of thirty samples of salted sardine and smoked herring fishes (15 of each) were randomely collected from fish markets in Damanhour city to estimate the concentrations of heavy metals using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The obtained results showed that the mean values of lead in salted sardine and smoked herring were 2.097+or-0.224 and 1.929+or-0.211 mg/kg wet weight, respectively, with an incidence of 100% of each. While cadmium residue was detected only in one sample of salted sardine, with a reading of 0.018, but a mean value of 0.203+or-0.044 mg cadmium/kg was estimated in smoked herring with an incidence of 80%. Meanwhile, the means of iron and zinc elements were 26.583+or-3.931 and 15.996+or-1.432 mg/kg in salted sardine and were 27.81+or-3.686 and 11.032+or-0.658 mg/kg in smoked herring. The lead levels in all the examined samples of both fish products were above the permissible limit of Egyptian Organization of Standardization and Quality Control "EOSQC" (1993). Cadmium residues levels exceeded the permissible limit in 73.3% of smoked herring fish. The levels of both iron and zinc were within the permissible FAO/WHO guidelines except 13.3% of both fish products exceeded iron permissible limit. The health hazard of contaminated food products with heavy metals and the essential recommendations which should be taken were discussed to safeguard the consumers.