Metal content in Sardina pilchardus during the period 2014-2022 in the Canary Islands (Atlantic EC, Spain)

The contamination present in an organism varies depending on biological and oceanographic conditions, so monitoring the same species is of great importance to understand the state of the ecosystem. Fifteen specimens in Sardina pilchardus between 12 and 15 cm in total length were collected during the second half of January of each of the study years (2014, 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2022). Samples were analyzed with Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) to measure metals (Al, Cd, Cu, Fe, Li, Ni, Pb and Zn) in mg/Kg. There was a progressive decrease in Pb content over the period, with the highest concentration being obtained in 2014 (0.086 ± 0.065 mg/kg). Locally important oceanic-atmospheric events may occur in the study period that strongly impact the tissue composition of marine organisms. In this case, discontinuous trends were evident in some of the metal concentrations analyzed in the muscle of European sardine in the Canary Islands.

Not applicable.

Enrique Lozano-Bilbao would like to thank the University of La Laguna (ULL) and the Spanish Ministry of Universities for the Margarita Salas postdoctoral fellowship, granted by the UNI/551/2021 Order and funded by Next Generation EU Fund. Specimens collection and sampling have been co-funded by the European Union through the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) within the National Program of collection, management and use of data in the fisheries sector and support for scientific advice regarding the Common Fisheries Policy.

Peer reviewed