Mercury and selenium in tissues and stomach contents of the migratory sailfish, Istiophorus platypterus, from the Eastern Pacific: Concentration, biomagnification, and dietary intake

Mercury and selenium were assessed in the sailfish, Istiophorus platypterus, from the Eastern Pacific. Sixty-seven individuals were sampled, muscle, liver, kidney, gonads and the prey found in the stomach contents were isolated during fishing 2011-2013 tournaments. Hg exhibited the following pattern (mu g g(-1) wet weight): liver (0.57 +/- 0.07) > muscle (0.56 +/- 0.04) > kidney (0.44 +/- 0.08) > gonad (0.14 +/- 0.01). The maximum concentration of Se was found in kidneys (14.1 +/- 1.9 mu g g(-1)), and the minimum in muscles (0.67 +/- 0.03 mu g g(-1)). High Se:Hg ratios were found for muscle (4.1 +/- 03), kidney (132.4 +/- 12.1), liver (54.0 +/- 4.4) and gonads (88.2 +/- 7.9); Hg;Se molar ratios were several orders of magnitude lower (muscle < 0.4 and liver, kidney and gonad < 0.03). Sailfish feed mainly on fishes and cephalopods with low Hg levels (< 0.13 mu g g(-1)), these results indicate biomagnification of Hg and Se. The muscle of L platypterus should be consumed (according the provisional tolerable weekly intake) by people cautiously so as not to exceed the recommended intake of 215 g per week. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.