Abstract
The likely health risks developed as a result of human contamination by heavy metal through fish consumption was assessed in this study. The analysis of wild and farmed fish for heavy metals was determined and an assessment of the risk limits was evaluated through daily intake of metal and health risk index. Heavy metals accumulations varied in concentrations in the various tissues/organs (skin, muscle, gills, liver, intestine, kidneys, brain, and bones) across the groups of farmed and wild fish species (Clarias gariepinus). A post-hoc multi-comparison (Duncan Multiple Range Test) showed that there were significant differences ( Hg>Pb>Cd>Ni and were all below the recommended safety limits outlined by FAO/WHO. Furthermore, the consumer’s health risk with the consumption of fish muscles tissues shows that there are very negligible tendencies for cadmium, lead, and mercury exposure. Also the ingestion of Clarias gariepinus with heavy metal concentrations indicated in this study is within the FAO/WHO safety daily intake limits (also specified in the study) and would not result in accumulation of heavy metals at intolerable concentrations, thus health complications arising from accumulation of heavy metals are rare
Highlights
In recent years, concentrations of heavy or toxic metals have reached unprecedented levels in many ecosystems
Of the over 32,800 species of fishes, the African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus) is among the most popular in Nigeria’s wild waters and aquaculture media (Amos and Bolorunduro, 2000), this is primarily due to their fast growth, hardiness, resistance to diseases, easy to breed both in captivity and wild
The liver and kidney in wild C. gariepinus accounted for Fe concentrations (0.98mg.kg-1 and 0.85mg.kg-1, respectively) which were above the FAO/WHO standard safety limits (0.8 mg.kg-1) but were remarkably lower when compared to results obtained by Abubakar et al (2015) where they showed Fe concentrations as high as 375.93mg.kg-1 in the liver, 225.25mg.kg-1 in the gills, 15.89mg.kg-1 in the skin, 11.44mg.kg-1 in the muscles, all in Scomber scombrus imported into Nigeria from Russian and European shipping origins
Summary
Concentrations of heavy or toxic metals have reached unprecedented levels in many ecosystems.
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