Determination of Some Chemical Composition and heavy Metal Accumulation of Gilthead Seabream (Sparus Aurata) Fish in The Al-Jabal Al Akhdar Coast - Libya

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine the nutritional quality of one of the fish species available in the Libyan market, Gilthead Seabream (Sparus aurata). The chemical composition (protein, lipid, moisture, and ash) was determined, as well as contamination caused by some heavy metals, in the edible part of Sparus aurata fish collected from three regions (Sousse, Haniyeh, and Hamama) of Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar, Libya. From each of the three regions, ten samples were taken. The study took place between May and June 2022. The average values for chemical composition for protein, fat, moisture, and ash were analyzed in fish and were as follows: 17.396; 8.117; 71.373, and 2.27%, respectively. The average concentrations of iron, lead, and cadmium in samples of fish muscle tissue were determined to be as follows: 2.0251; 0.76597, and 0.06596 µg/g, respectively. As a result, this study showed that the concentrations of heavy metals like iron and lead in all fish samples were above the maximum permissible limits set by some food regulators.

Keywords: Chemical  Composition, Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry , Sparus Aurata