Overview
This study measured nine metals and metalloids in 34 commercially available canned fish products purchased in Turkey, using ICP-MS, and assessed health risks for children and adults through estimated weekly intake (EWI), target hazard quotient (THQ), and carcinogenic risk calculations. The authors found that while EWI for all metals stayed below provisional tolerable weekly intake limits, three tuna samples produced THQ values above 1.0 (driven primarily by Fe and Zn), and arsenic levels in 18 products (15 tuna, 2 salmon, 1 mackerel) presented elevated carcinogenic risk for children under heavy-consumption scenarios.
Key numbers
ICP-MS (Agilent 7500ce), wet weight basis, mg/kg ww, n = 34:
- Fe: 12.12–101.4
- Cu: 2.19–11.68
- Zn: 4.06–33.56
- Se: 0.24–10.74
- Al: 1.41–14.45
- Cr: 0.06–4.08
- Pb: 0.10–0.43 (mean not reported in abstract; range across all products)
- Cd: 0.001–0.110
- As (total): 0.01–0.13
THQ > 1 in 3 tuna samples (driven by Fe and Zn, not the regulated heavy metals Pb or Cd). As carcinogenic risk exceeded 10⁻⁴ threshold for child consumers in 18 of 34 products at modeled heavy-consumption rates.
Methods (brief)
ICP-MS (Agilent 7500ce). Samples were commercially purchased canned fish from 13 brands in Turkey in 2021. Digestion method not specified in abstract; standard microwave acid digestion protocol assumed. Total arsenic reported (speciation not performed); total chromium reported (Cr-VI not speciated). Wet weight basis throughout.
Implications
Certification: Total As range (10–130 µg/kg ww) for canned tuna is consistent with other market surveys; no single product exceeded 130 µg/kg tAs by this data. Cd values (1–110 µg/kg) are low relative to regulatory limits for fish. The Pb range (100–430 µg/kg) warrants attention for frequent consumers, particularly children.
Courses: Illustrates that health risk in canned seafood is driven predominantly by As (carcinogenicity) and trace Pb rather than Cd for this product category.
App: tAs range 10–130 µg/kg ww for canned tuna/salmon; Cd range 1–110 µg/kg ww; Pb range 100–430 µg/kg ww; Al 1,410–14,450 µg/kg ww (potential packaging migration contribution not addressed).
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Update history
The five most recent substantive edits to this page, classified major (evidence or structure moved), correction (a published value or statement was wrong and has been fixed), or minor (narrative rewritten without changing the underlying evidence). Each description is derived from what the edit did to this page; the linked commit is the authoritative record, routine regeneration passes are excluded, and the full version history lives in git. When DOI minting comes online (see schema docs), each entry below will also link to a version-pinned DataCite DOI.
| Commit | Date | Change | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| a8052bb | 2026-08-09 | major | 6 sections added; narrative text revised |