HEAVY METALS AND PROXIMATE COMPOSITION OF BLACK SEA SPRAT (SPRATTUS SPRATTUS) AND GOBY (NEOGOBIUS MELANOSTOMUS)

Abstract

STANCHEVA, M., A. MERDZHANOVA, E. PETROVA and D. PETROVA, 2013. Heavy metals and proximate composition of Black Sea sprat (Sprattus sprattus) and goby (Neogobius melanostomus). Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., Supplement 1: 35–41 The aim of the present study were to determine and compare the heavy metals content (Pb, Cd, Hg and As) and proximate composition in edible part of two commercially important fi sh species from Bulgarian Black Sea – sprat (Sprattus sprattus) and goby (Neogobius melanostomus). Determination of As, Cd, and Pb were carried out on a Perkin Elmer Zeeman 3030 spectrometer with an HGA-600 atomizer, whereas Hg was analyzed by Milestone Direct Mercury Analyzer. The levels of Cd and Pb were relatively low in both analyzed species while those for As concentration show higher value for sprat. The amounts of Hg for sprat and goby are also under permitted levels for fi shes for human consumption. Proximate composition of the following nutrients was determined using standard procedures of AOAC (1991): moisture, crude protein and total lipids. Crude protein in fi sh samples was in the range 17.15–18.10%, while fat content was from 1.60 to 4.30 g.100 g –1 w.w. Energy values have been calculated using FAO/WHO specifi c factors and were in interval 373–437 kJ.100 g –1 w.w. Results showed that observed heavy metal contents have lower concentration of mean values than the permissible limits set by FAO/WHO in analyzed samples. It can be concluded that both species studied are safe to be consumed and have a good nutrition quality.