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  Background: Due to discharge of industrial effluent into marine environment, background quantity of heavy metals and their bioaccumulation in marine organism's body including fish is increasing. Thus, determination of mercury content in fish consumed by human is an essential thing.

  Methods: In order to evaluate the mercury content of canned tuna fish marketed in Kerman, 70 canned tuna fish samples were purchased and their mercury content was determined by ICP-OES. All results were reported as µg g^-1 on a wet weight basis.

  Results: The range obtained for 70 tuna samples analyzed in µg g^-1 was from 0.1±0.07 to 0.54±0.2 µg g^-1 . The mean Hg concentration in the tuna was 0.29 µg g^-1. The results of this study showed that 80% of tuna samples (8 types) from the Persian Gulf have average H g level below and 20% (2 types) above the WHO/FAO recommended levels.

  Conclusion: The results obtained from the present study showed that most of the canned tuna fish marketed in Iran have average Hg concentration below WHO/FAO limit of 0.5 µg g^-1. Two tuna samples, however, showed average concentration above the guidelines. In this respect, more attention should be paid to monitor Hg concentration of nation’s canned tuna fish and to force canned tuna industry to systematic monitoring as well as establishment of required standards for monitoring of this harmful heavy metal in foodstuffs.