Heavy metal and mineral analysis of cultivated seaweeds from Cox’s Bazar Coast, Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh: a human health risk implication

Abstract

Seaweeds are grown for their use in food and other sectors, however heavy metals (HMs) contamination raises serious issues for the environment and public health. This study focuses on seaweed samples (Hypnea musciformes and Gracilaria lemaneiformis) collected from the Rezu Khal seaweed culture site, Cox’s Bazar coast, Bangladesh. HMs and minerals were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS). Among the elements examined, H. musciformes displayed the highest mean concentrations of minerals and HMs, including Magnesium (Mg) (8663.00 ± 2302.06 mg/kg), Copper (Cu) (10.59 ± 1.61 mg/kg), Iron (Fe) (7566.29 ± 2842.47 mg/kg), Manganese (Mn) (9.93 ± 2.88 mg/kg), Zinc (Zn) (29.54 ± 7.51 mg/kg), and Nickel (Ni) (11.77 ± 2.63 mg/kg). Conversely, G. lemaneiformis exhibited the highest levels of Calcium (Ca) (798.14 ± 143.40 mg/kg), Lead (Pb) (3.91 ± 1.74 mg/kg), and Chromium (Cr) (0.59 ± 0.30 mg/kg). Specifically, Mg was prominently abundant in H. musciformes, while Cawas more prevalent in G. lemaneiformis. Both seaweed types contained Pb and Cr. None of the elements was significantly different between the species (p < 0.05). The consumers are not exposed to any carcinogenic or non-carcinogenic risks related to these concentrations, according to the evaluation of carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks.