Potentially toxic elements in muscle tissue of different fish species from the Sava River and risk assessment for consumers

Abstract

Fish from the Sava River are consumed daily by the local people: therefore, concern has been raised about the health implications of eating contaminated fish. In the present study, potentially toxic elements (PTE), such as Zn, Cu, Cr, Ni, Cd, Pb, As, Hg, and methylmercury (MeHg), were determined in ichthyofauna that are commonly consumed. PTE were determined in the fish muscle tissue. Fish were sampled at 12 locations from the source of the Sava River to its confluence with the Danube River during two sampling campaigns, namely; in 2014 under high water conditions and in 2015 under normal water conditions. Due to the different water regimes, different fish species were collected for chemical analysis. We observed that the concentrations of elements analysed in the fish muscle tissue were generally very low, except for those of Hg. Moreover, more than 90% of Hg present in the fish was in its most toxic form, namely MeHg. Especially in fish from the 2015 sampling campaign, Hg and MeHg concentrations increased with fish size, trophic level, and in the downstream direction. In addition, for Pb and As, and to some extent for Cd and Cr, spatial differences were detected in both years. The highest concentrations of PTE were detected in fish from sites with intensive industrial and agricultural activities. The consumption of fish in general does not pose a health risk for the PTE studied, except for Hg/MeHg at selected contaminated sites.