MERCURY CONTENT IN SHARKS

Prior to the occurrence of the Minamata disaster in Japan in which 46 people were killed and nearly 100 seriously injured by eating fish and shellfish contaminated by an alkylmercury compound, there had been few attempts to determine mercury levels in fish. From 1964 to 1967, studies were conducted on fish in Sweden, and mercury concentrations of several ppm were reported, as was the observation that fish were found to contain mercury higher than that noted in waters from which they had been caught. Also, positive correlation between mercury concentrations in muscle tissue to total weight and age was confirmed. This paper reports the analytical results relating to total mercury concentrations in two species of sharks taken from Hawaiian marine waters. n fish. From 1964 to 1967, studies were conducted on fish in Sweden, and mercury concentrations of several ppm were reported, as was the observation that fish were found to contain mercury higher than that noted in waters from which they had been caught. Also, positive correlation bewteen mercury concentrations in muscle tissue to total weight and age was confirmed. This paper reports the analytical results relating to total mercury concentrations in two species of sharks taken from Hawaiian marine waters. beta