Distribution and relationships of As, Cd, Pb and Hg in freshwater fish from five French fishing areas

► Occurrence data of four trace elements from 149 samples of freshwater fish. ► Analysis by ICP-MS after microwave-assisted digestion. ► Comparison with results from French and European studies. ► Comparison with the maximum levels set by the current European Regulation. ► Comparison between feeding guilds and between control and contaminated sites.