Organic and inorganic arsenic and lead in fish from the South Adriatic Sea, Italy

Total, organic and inorganic arsenic and lead were measured from the muscle of different kinds of fish : skate (Raje spp.), hake (Merluccius merlucciu s) and blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou), caught in the South Adriati c Sea (South Italy) in the period June-August 1995. The highest levels of t otal arsenic were found in skate (Raje spp.) whose values ranged from 14.4 to 61.5 mg/kg ww, followed by blue whiting (M. poutassou) and hake (M. merl uccius) that showed lower levels ranging from 8.5 to 21.5 mg/kg ww and from 5.9 to 16.1 mg/kg ww, respectively. In all the species examined most of th is element was present as organic compounds while inorganic arsenic was onl y a very modest percentage (0.47-3.5%) of the total arsenic present. Lead i n all species analysed was at small concentrations with mean values ranging from 0.12 to 0.15 mg/kg ww. According to the rules in force in Italy no sa mples showed concentrations of lead exceeding the peak value of 2 mg/kg.