Abstract

The levels of six chemical elements (mercury, arsenic, lead, cadmium, zinc and copper) were examined in two species of Pacific salmon, genus Oncorhynchus, pink salmon (O. gorbuscha ), and chum salmon (O. keta ) that were caught in the Kuril waters in July 2013. Concentrations of toxic elements (Hg, As, Pb, Cd) in both species were shown to be below the maximum concentration limits of these trace elements for seafood. The concentrations of these elements were compared between wild salmon and hatchery salmon of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.