Concentrations of Arsenic, Selenium and Ten Heavy Metals in School Shark, Galeorhinus australis (Macleay), and Gummy Shark, Mustelus antarcticus Günther, from South-eastern Australian Waters

Abstract

The maximum concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, copper, manganese, selenium and zinc in the edible flesh of G. australis and M. antarcticus were found to be 30, 0.08, 0.6, 0.6, 0.8 and 4.8 µg/g, wet weight respectively. The concentrations of cobalt, chromium, lead, molybdenum and nickel were below the limits of detection, namely 0.3,0.5,0.1,0.2 and 0.2 µg/g, wet weight respectively, of the methods used.

Samples for analysis were taken from one male and one female shark of each species caught in six areas in south-eastern Australian waters and wherever possible the concentrations of the elements were correlated with the sharks' species, sex and site of capture.