Hg and Se in Muscle and Liver of Blue Shark (Prionace glauca) from the Entrance of the Gulf of California: An Insight to the Potential Risk to Human Health

Abstract

The blue shark (Prionace glauca) is the most commonly caught species of Elasmobranchii at the entrance to the Gulf of California. Although fins are the primary target commodity, the entire organism is consumed. This study examined the concentration of Hg and Se in muscle and liver to understand the antagonistic process that occurs between these two elements within the organism. Twenty-two individuals were captured at the Gulf of California inlet between September 2019 and March 2021. Hg was measured by cold vapor atomic absorption, and Se by atomic absorption spectrophotometry in a graphite furnace. All individuals studied showed higher concentrations (µg g⁻¹ wet weight) of Hg (0.69) and Se (2.49) in liver than in muscle (Hg 0.63 and Se 0.08). Although the mean Hg values were below the maximum allowable limits (Hg 1.0 µg g⁻¹ wet weight), the molar ratio (< 1.0) and the negative health benefit value of selenium (HBV_Se) in muscle show that additional caution should be taken when consuming this species. We recommend a more thorough study of the antagonistic interaction between Hg and Se to accurately assess the health risk for consumers of blue shark.