De Loose, Emilie, Gayford, Joel H., Karalić, Emina, Annibaldi, Anna, Girolametti, Federico, Truzzi, Cristina, Illuminati, Silvia, Beširović, Hajrudin, and Gajić, Andrej A. (2025) Trace element concentration and toxicity in blackspotted smooth-hound sharks (Mustelus punctulatus) from the southern Adriatic Sea: Implications for consumer safety. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 213. 117630.

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Abstract

Sharks are highly susceptible to heavy metals and metalloids bioaccumulation due to their high trophic position within marine ecosystems. However, heavy metal(oid)s concentration have been reported for few species, and their biological effects remain poorly understood. Here we report the concentration of 14 heavy metal(oid)s from kidney, liver, brain and muscle tissues of targeted blackspotted smooth-hound sharks from the Southern Adriatic Sea. Males exhibited significantly higher levels of silver and mercury than females, and kidney and liver tissues showed higher concentrations than muscle and brain tissues. No correlation was found between metal(oid) concentrations and body size and morphometric indices. The levels of mercury consistently exceeded regulatory maximum limit for by the EU suggesting danger to the consumer, which was further highlighted by the health risk assessment following the US EPA 2000 guidelines.

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