The cadmium, lead, copper, zinc, iron, manganese and nickel concentrations have been determined in muscle tissue of 208 sprats (Sprattus sprattus) netted in 1983 in different regions in the southern part of the Baltic Sea. The method of measurement was atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The mean values obtained related to wet weight were: 0.031 mg/ kg Cd, 0.10 mg/kg Pb, 0.59 mg/kg Cu, 14 mg/kg Zn, 12 mg/kg Fe, 0.26 mg/kg Mn and 0.23 mg/kg Ni, respectively. The mean contents of cadmium and lead in muscles of sprats were below the recommended tolerance levels of 0.05–2.0 mg/kg and 0.5–2.0 mg/kg, respectively. A small number of sprats contained cadmium in their muscles at a concentration above the tolerance of 0.05 mg/kg. The results are compared with values reported previously for Baltic sprats by other authors.