Levels of toxic elements in canned fish from the Serbian markets and their health risks assessment

A total of 138 samples of canned tuna, sardines and mackerel from the Serbian market were analyzed for toxic (As, Cd, Pb, Hg) element levels using ICP-MS. The highest average contents of toxic elements were found to be 1.70 mg kg−1 for arsenic and 0.026 mg kg−1 for cadmium in sardine and 0.068 mg kg−1 for mercury in tuna. The lead content was very similar (∼0.048 mg kg−1) of the three types of canned fish. None of the fish analyzed contained toxic elements in levels exceeding the maximum allowable levels currently in force. Human health risk assessment of As, Cd, Pb and Hg in canned fish were investigated. A risk assessment based on the measured levels of examined elements indicated that consumption of canned fish according to current eating habits in Serbia presents little risk to human health since the carcinogenic risk is within the acceptable range, 10−4-10−6.