First record of mercury concentrations and stable isotopes (C & N) in albacore (Thunnus alalunga) from the Western Equatorial Atlantic Ocean.

This paper reports the first record of total mercury (THg) concentrations in albacore (Thunnus alalunga), one of the main tuna species caught from the Western Equatorial Atlantic Ocean and presents a preliminary comparison with other regions and tuna species. Mean, standard deviation and range of concentrations in T. alalunga (515 ± 145 ng g ww; 294-930 ng g ww) with 92 % being of methyl-Hg, are higher than in albacore from other Atlantic Ocean subregions despite their smaller body size.

Risk assessment of human Hg exposure through consumption of fishery products in Ceará state, northeastern Brazil.

The contamination of fish and aquaculture products may prove an obstacle to achieve the economic potential of the fishery sector worldwide. Seafood is a key source of Hg exposure to human consumers. Thus, it is necessary to monitor current contamination levels and formulate future scenarios of exposure to pollutants as supporting measures to improve, in the short and medium term, the sustainability of the fishing sector and guarantee food safety.