Heavy metal concentrations in wild and farmed gilthead sea bream from southern Mediterranean Sea—human health risk assessment

Abstract

Arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc concentrations in the edible part of wild and farmed Sparus aurata from Algerian coastal were determined. The highest concentrations of cadmium (0.0078 mg kg-1 wet weight), copper (0.98 mg kg-1 w.w), and zinc (5.1 mg kg-1 w.w) were recorded in farmed sea bream, whereas the highest arsenic (5.02 mg kg-1 w.w) and lead (0.006 mg kg-1 w.w) levels were registered in wild one. The statistical analysis (Friedman test, p < 0.05) indicated that the origin of fish (wild, farmed in a cage, and farmed in raceway) has relevance to the distribution of metal. Estimated weekly intake of inorganic arsenic, cadmium, and lead for a 72.5-kg person consuming Sparus aurata from Algeria does not exceed 1% of the WHO/JECFA recommended rate for all metals, certainly due to the limited consumption of seafood products by the local population. The total target hazard index is far less than "one" 1, and the carcinogenic risk for arsenic exceeds the acceptable value of 10-5. Based on the result of this study, the potential risk to human health from the consumption of contaminate farmed sea bream (in the cage) should be considered.