Assessment of heavy metal(loid)s in selected small indigenous species of industrial area origin freshwater fish and potential human health risk implications in Bangladesh

Abstract

Concentrations of nine heavy metal (loid)s (HMs) were determined in fourteen different small indigenous species (SIS) of freshwater fish using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) technique. Mean concentrations of HMs in the investigated SIS of fish samples ranged from (0.284–1.554), (0.002–0.035), (0.055–0.431), (0.005–0.018), (0.011–0.252), (0.216–23.948), (0.460–34.616), (0.529–3.281), and (4.473–50.560) mg/kg-fw for Pb, Cd, Cr, As, Hg, Mn, Fe, Cu, and Zn, respectively. Statistically significant difference (p < 0.001) was observed in the concentrations of HMs among the fish species. Among the nine HMs, concentrations of toxic HMs (Cd, Cr, As, and Hg) and essential (or probably essential as very trace amounts are required) HMs (Fe and Cu) were usually below the maximum allowable concentrations (MACs) set by international standards. Multivariate statistical analyses showed that anthropogenic activities might be the main source of HMs in the SIS of fish. Human health risks assessed in terms of estimated daily intake (EDI), non-carcinogenic risk (target hazard quotient (THQ) and total target hazard quotient (TTHQ)), and carcinogenic risk (CR) (mean) were below the permissible limit of benchmark. However, for the consumption of a very few selected SIS of fish, there is a slight concern for Cd- and Cr-induced CR.