Aspects of the safety of fish caught off the coast of Qatar

Uncooked, edible portions (including skin) of 20 species of marine fish pop ular with consumers in Qatar were examined for levels of copper, zinc, lead and mercury, as well as for the presence of enteric pathogens that might i ndicate faecal pollution of fishing grounds or careless handling during lan ding of the catch, The maximum level of detected mercury was 0.24 mg kg(-1) , while the lead content was below the level of detection in 95% of the spe cies examined; copper and zinc were at levels that might be considered nutr itionally desirable rather than toxic. No pathogens were detected, and the total colony counts ranged from 1.0 x 10(3) to 8.0 X 10(5) cfu g(-1). overa ll, the results for the parameters examined suggested that local fish can b e eaten with confidence. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved .