Determination of Pb, Cd, Ni, Zn concentration in canned fish in south of Iran

Introduction: Heavy metals as environment pollutant are potentially dangerous for living organisms. These metals cause interruption of enzyme activity and impaired synthesis of compounds that are essential for body, and can accumulate in aquatic bodies. The aim of this study was to determine lead, cadmium, nickel and zinc in canned fish in south of Iran. Methods: In this descriptive and analytical study, sixteen different brands of canned tuna were collected during a two months period from April to May 2010 in south of Iran. Three cans from each brand were purchased and one sample was taken from each brand. Totally, 192 experiments were performs on samples. Sample preparation and the digestion rate of heavy metals including lead, cadmium, nickel and zinc was determined by flame atomic absorption value. Results were analyzed using descriptive statistics by SPSS Software. Results: Concentrations of lead, cadmium, nickel and zinc in collected canned tuna, were 0.2115±0.11, 0.3514±0.014, 0.4098±0.24 and 0.77±00.36µg/g, respectively. Conclusion: Our results showed, that the average concentration of heavy metals was lower than those declared by FAO and WHO. Given the importance of heavy metals on human health, periodic monitoring of these metals is necessary