Metals in fish in Sweden

During 2001-2005 approximately 650 samples of fish from the Baltic Sea and the largest Swedish lakes and rivers, as well as a number of samples of fish and crustaceans from marine waters, were analysed for their content of mercury, cadmium and lead. The primary purpose of the survey was to update the Swedish intake recommendations for mercury in fish [1]. Most samples were also analysed for their content of a number of essential metals. In a parallel project, the levels of total and inorganic arsenic, selenium and molybdenum was determined in salmon, plaice and mackerel [7]. The mean arsenic levels in salmon, mackerel and plaice varied from 0,6–7,8 mg/kg fresh weight (fw), whereas the inorganic arsenic was consistently < 0.003 mg/kg fw. With the exception of tuna all mean cadmium levels in fish muscle ranged between <0,001–0,003 mg/kg fw. In canned and fresh tuna the mean levels were 0,020 and 0,032 mg/kg fw, respectively. The mean lead levels for all fish species ranged between