The use of bile in fish in a screening method for trace metal exposure

The potential of using bile from marine fish as a screening method for trace metal exposure was studied. Several trace metals are excreted into the bile, which is continuously renewed. The bile can, therefore, be used as a measure of the turnover of metals in the organisms at the time of sampling. This differs from the accumulated concentrations in different tissues. The method has been tested on three species of fish from three sites in the North Sea. The elemental composition of the bile and the liver was measured using an ICP-MS. It was possible to group the fish from the different areas based on elemental composition. The bile analysis results produced a stronger grouping than the liver samples.