Screening mercury (Hg) presence in Philippine milkfish (Chanos chanos) using total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF)

Authors

  • Aldrin Tabuso DOST-ITDI
  • John Kenneth Valerio Department of Science and Technology, Industrial Technology and Development Institute (DOST-ITDI), Bicutan, Taguig City, Philippines
  • Anton john Rocha Department of Science and Technology, Industrial Technology and Development Institute (DOST-ITDI), Bicutan, Taguig City, Philippines
  • Alleni Junsay Department of Science and Technology, Industrial Technology and Development Institute (DOST-ITDI), Bicutan, Taguig City, Philippines
  • Kim Christopher Aganda Department of Science and Technology, Industrial Technology and Development Institute (DOST-ITDI), Bicutan, Taguig City, Philippines

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21014/actaimeko.v15i2.2300

Keywords:

fish, heavy metals, total reflection x-ray fluorescence (TXRF), toxic elements

Abstract

In this study, a method for the analysis of mercury (Hg) content in Philippine milkfish (Chanos chanos) using Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence (TXRF) spectrometry was validated using Philippine Reference Material (PRM) 2002-As, Cd, Hg & Pb in Milkfish, produced by the DOST-ITDI National Metrology Division, which resulted in a recovery ranging between 93 % and 104 %. Additionally, the relative standard deviation (RSD) of the collected dataset is lower than 10% and the expanded uncertainty is 0.08 ppm, showing the method’s precision and consistency. For confirmation, DORM-5 was analyzed, resulting in 98.885 % Hg recovery, further supporting the capability of the TXRF analysis. The method was applied to milkfish samples harvested from different areas around Laguna de Bay to screen for the presence of Hg contamination. The dorsal meat of each milkfish sample was separated, dried, and crushed into smaller particles for TXRF analyses. The analyses showed that no mercury was detected in the milkfish samples which indicates that the milkfish from Laguna de Bay are free from harmful levels of Hg contamination.

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Published

2026-06-26

Issue

Vol. 15 No. 2 (2026)

Section

Research Papers

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Aldrin Tabuso, John Kenneth Valerio, Anton john Rocha, Alleni Junsay, Kim Christopher Aganda

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