PH13 Metals in the Environment: Dietary Concerns in Aquatic Systems
Exhibit Hall
8:00 AM - ALL DAYS
(PH153) Arsenic in fish: the effect of diet and salinity, and the consequence for food safety.
Lundebye, A.-K.1, Amlund, H.1, Berntssen, M.1, 1 National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research, Bergen, Norway
ABSTRACT- Arsenic in the marine environment exists in many different chemical forms. Arsenobetaine has for years been regarded as the major arsenic compound in marine organisms, while limited data indicates that the same applies to freshwater organisms. Total arsenic concentrations found in marine fish is normally in the range 1-100 
g As g-1 dry weight, whereas concentrations found in freshwater fish is just a few g As g-1 dry weight. Arsenobetaine is mainly taken up orally and mostly retained in muscle tissue in marine fish. Recently a relationship between salinity and arsenic levels has been reported, indicating that salinity may be a factor explaining the large differences in arsenic concentrations between marine and freshwater fish. Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) is an anadromous fish with a distinct fresh and seawater phase of life, and hence is a good model when investigating the influence of diet and salinity on arsenobetaine retention. Data will be presented from fresh and seawater adapted salmon, wild and farmed respectively. Speciation data on arsenic in muscle tissue from a range of fish species will be presented and the significance of diet and salinity on the accumulation of arsenic in fish, and the potential consequence for risk assessment in relation to food safety will be discussed.
Key words: fish, arsenic, salinity, food safety