Influence of Heat Treatment on the Mercury Content of Fish Flesh

摘要

The extent of mercury loss from fish flesh by heat treatment (during cooking) was investigated. The results of these experiments verified that the fish containing mercury should only be allowed to human consumption with special health consideration since the mercury loss due to even rather drastic cooking conditions, is about 50%. The amount of mercury was determined by neutron activation analysis based on exp 203 Hg isotope. The radiochemical separation of mercury was performed by using iodinated resin. The efficiency of this separation was compared with that of the precipitation method of mercury as copperethylenediamine mercury iodide complex. No gold could be detected in the spectrum of copperethylenediamine mercury iodide complex whereas the contribution of gold activity to the 0.279 MeV peak of exp 203 Hg which was retained on iodinated resin could not be considered negligible. Therefore when the mercury in any matrix in which gold is likely to be present, is determined by neutron activation analysis using iodinated resin, the contribution of gold should be taken into consideration or the 0.279 MeV peak activity of exp 203 Hg should be counted after complete decay of exp 198 Au. (ERA citation 07:048223)