Fish and seafood

Abstract

This chapter includes a detailed review on the content, distribution and accumulative processes of metals, metal loids and alkaline/alkaline earth metals within fish and seafood. The inclusion of minerals in the human diet, as well as their role in metabolism, growth and health, are discussed. Moreover, the main analytical methods as usually applied to determine the contents of these elements in fish and seafood are fully considered, including alternative processes of mineralization, sample treatments, and the diversity of analytical instrumentation. The exposure of human populations to potentially toxic metals through fish and seafood consumption is also reviewed, and the most significant case studies analysed: mercury in fish and shellfish species; cadmium in squids; copper and zinc in bivalves, molluscs and crustaceans; arsenic and selenium in sea food; calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium in fish and shellfish, with analysis of the corresponding trends in accumulation, detoxification processes, toxicity levels, and usual exposure levels within different environments. Finally, the major risks and diseases that can occur in human populations as a consequence of exposure to the toxic metal content of fish and seafood are discussed. The main historical events have been considered within this framework, and the most important effects of these elements on health are included.