Trophic Transfer and Dietary Mineral Intake of Essential Elements in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Thunnus albacares</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Katsuwonus pelamis</Emphasis> from the Eastern Pacific

With the aim of knowing levels of Cu, Fe, and Zn in the edible portion of tunas Thunnus albacares and Katsuwonus pelamis, these elements were measured in 73 fish collected in the eastern Pacific. Additionally, trophic transfer (TF) and dietary mineral intake (DMI) of analyzed metals were determined. The most elevated average concentration of Zn (31.7 μg g⁻¹ dry weight) was found in T. albacares from the Baja California region; in the case of Cu and Fe, highest values (3.86 and 71.0 μg g⁻¹ dry weight) were found in K. pelamis from the offshore waters in the Pacific Ocean. Concentrations of Cu in muscle tissue of both species were significantly (p < 0.05) correlated (negatively) with total length of specimens; levels of Fe in muscle of K. pelamis also showed a negative correlation with total length. None of TFs were above the unit, it implies that there is no biomagnification of Cu, Fe, and Zn. The DMI of Cu, Fe, and Zn from muscle tissue of analyzed tuna represented less than 13%, 21%, and 8%, respectively, of the daily requirements for humans.