Content of some metals in mean tissue of salt-water and fresh-water fish and in their products.

The main goal of this work was to determine the concentration of some metals in meat tissue of salt-water and fresh-water fish and in their products. These studies refer to 13 species of fish most often eaten in Poland, caught in 1992. Fish (samples) for testing and examination were taken from each species once every month during the term of 6 months. The lead content in tested fish and their products did not exceed the set limits (0.6 mg Pb/kg), which were exceeded only in preserve from oyster. The average content of cadmium in flounder, Alaska pollack, Baltic herring, pickled herring pieces and in preserves with shrimp, crab and oyster exceeded the set limits (0.05 mg Cd/kg). The copper and zinc content in tested fish and their products is also within the set domestic limits (10.0 mg Cu/kg and 50.0 mg Zn/kg). The iron (3.6-24.2 mg/kg), magnesium (170-380 mg/kg) and manganese (0.12-0.31 mg/kg) contents in muscle tissue of the tested fish and their products seem to be typical. The presence of absolutely toxic metals (lead and cadmium) in some species of fish and their products points to extreme contamination of water environment by those metals.