Mercury, arsenic and selenium concentrations in marine fish species from the Oman Sea, Iran, and health risk assessment

Abstract

To determine mercury (Hg), arsenic (As) and selenium (Se) in six fish species of the Oman Sea and assess the health risk of Hg and As. LECO AMA 254 Advanced Mercury Analyzer according to ASTM, standard no. D 6722, was applied to analyze Hg, and ICP-MS model HP-4500 was used to measure As and Se concentrations in fish samples. The mean concentrations of studied elements ranged from 0.12 ± 0.03 to 0.39 ± 0.11 µg g−1 wet weight (ww) for Hg, 0.74 ± 0.37 to 3.30 ± 1.39 µg g−1 ww for As and 0.621 ± 0.16 to 1.54 ± 0.48 µg g−1 ww for Se. A significant correlation (r = 0.65, p < 0.001) was seen between Se and Hg molar concentrations in all samples of fish. The means of Se-to-Hg molar ratios were in the range 8.98–13.40 in mackerel tuna and black pomfret, respectively. The negative significant correlation (r = − 0.27, p < 0.03) was obtained between Se-to-Hg molar ratio and length of fish species. The means of selenium health benefit value (HBVSe) were ranged from 7.12 in Indo-Pacific king mackerel to 17.66 in Narrow-barred mackerel, respectively. The maximum of estimated weekly intake (EWI) for Hg and As was calculated 1.95 μg kg−1 week−1 in mackerel tuna and 0.49 μg kg−1 week−1 in Javelin grunter, respectively. HQHg was exceeded 1 in mackerel tuna and Narrow-barred mackerel, but HQAs was below 1 for all fish species. Since the interactions between Se and Hg, assessing Hg concentration in fish alone is incompetent. Consumers of these fish species are not at high risk of Hg and As exposure. Individuals who frequently eat fish should choose fish species with lower Hg levels, shorter length and high HBVSe, particularly if they are among sensitive groups.