Risk assessment of trace elements bioaccumulated in golden gray mullet (Liza aurata) harvested from the southern Caspian Sea

Abstract

Determination of trace element levels (arsenic, As; cadmium, Cd; cobalt, Co; chromium, Cr; copper, Cu; iron, Fe; lead, Pb; manganese, Mn; nickel, Ni; selenium, Se; and zinc, Zn) in the edible part (muscle) of golden gray mullet (Liza aurata: Mugilidae) and the potential health risk from consuming this fish were assessed. Sixty fish were caught by beach seine along the south-central shoreline of the Caspian Sea (Mazandaran province). Concentrations of trace elements were determined by ICP-AES. The mean concentration of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, and Zn in the muscle of golden gray mullet were 1.39, 0.036, 0.260, 0.514, 1.87, 5.66, 1.29, 0.181, 0.971, 2.01 and 7.41 mg kg−1 wet weight, respectively. Although the higher concentrations of Cr and Cu were recorded in this study in comparison to previous studies, maximum levels of trace elements, except for As and Ni, were lower than the international standards proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food of the United Kingdom (MAFF), and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). Daily intakes of these trace elements through fish consumption were compared with the established values. The hazard quotients calculated for all trace elements showed that the examined fish are considered safe for human consumption.