Fast determination of fish mineral profile. Application to Vietnamese panga fish

• A rapid method to determine the mineral profile of panga fish has been proposed.
• Hazardous elements were present at ng g−1 levels in samples imported from Vietnam.
• Healthy risk associated to panga fish intake was rejected.

A methodology, based on inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry after microwave-assisted digestion with HNO3/H2O2, was developed to determine the mineral profile of panga fish samples imported from Vietnam. A total of 42 essential and toxic elements were studied in seven samples taken from the local market. Preliminary studies were focused on selecting the best wavelength and the required dilution of samples in order to provide the highest sensitivity to maximize the number of analytes to be determined without spectral or matrix interferences. Adequate accuracy was assured by the analysis of certified reference material TORT-2. Mercury was also determined by a direct method based on atomic absorption spectrometry. Results obtained indicated a low mineral profile, fourteen elements were found at quantitatively levels, Na (6000 µg g−1) K (1800 µg g−1) Mg (173 µg g−1), Ca (80 µg g−1), Zn (2.44 µg g−1), Fe (1.6 µg g−1), Al (1.1 µg g−1), Sr (0.4 µg g−1) and B, Ba, Hg, Mn, V (under 0.1 µg g−1). Additionally data were compared with those previously reported in literature and an estimation of daily intake was calculated and compared with recommended or tolerable guidelines values. Levels of As, Cd, Pb and Hg were far below the established values by the European Community.