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Total and toxic arsenic levels in North Sea fish (poster)
De Gieter, M.; Leermakers, M.; Van Ryssen, R.; Noyen, J.; Goeyens, L.; Baeyens, W. (2002). Total and toxic arsenic levels in North Sea fish (poster), in: Mees, J. et al. (Ed.) VLIZ Young Scientists' Day, Brugge, Belgium 13 March 2002: book of abstracts. VLIZ Special Publication, 7: pp. 33
In: Mees, J.; Seys, J. (Ed.) (2002). VLIZ Young Scientists' Day, Brugge, Belgium 13 March 2002: book of abstracts. VLIZ Special Publication, 7. Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee: Oostende. VI, 57 pp., more
In: VLIZ Special Publication. Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee (VLIZ): Oostende. ISSN 1377-0950, more

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Document type: Summary

Keyword
    Marine/Coastal

Authors  Top 
  • De Gieter, M., more
  • Leermakers, M., more
  • Van Ryssen, R., more
  • Noyen, J.
  • Goeyens, L., more
  • Baeyens, W., more

Abstract
    Levels of arsenic contamination in muscle and liver tissue of 25 seafish and 4 shellfish species from the North Sea and the English Channel were determined. Analyses were done both by ICP-MS and HG-AFS in order to distinguish between the toxic fraction, consisting of As(III), As(V), MMA and DMA on the one hand and the non-toxic fraction, which includes mainly AB on the other hand. Highest total As concentrations were found in lemon sole, dogfish, ray and witch. Median total As concentrations in these fish were higher than 20 mg.kg-1 ww. Flatfish, dogfish and ray also contained the highest amounts of toxic As ( >0.1 mg.kg-1 ww). But despite this, these fish species did not show the highest toxic fractions (AsTox/AsT %). Six fish species, seabass, ling, john dory, pouting, dab and brill had toxic fractions higher than 2%. In many cases, the As concentrations found exceed the formal limits for As in seafood, but these formal limits are rather ambiguous. A classification reflecting the toxic potential of seafish was made using normalization.

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