Risk assessment of trace metals in canned fish commercialized for human consumption in Egypt

Abstract

Fourteen trace elements were examined using ICP-OES in the imported canned tuna fish, sardines, and tuna packaging medium that were sold in Greater Cairo. The leaching into acetic acid (3%) was done to simulate the releasing of trace metals from cans. The association between the trace metal levels in tuna, oil/brine, and the leaching of trace metals into 3% acetic acid solution was investigated. All trace metals were found in all samples, although Cd was not. Eight of 25 canned tuna (32%), and one of 5 canned Sardina pilchardus fish (20%) have Pb concentrations that exceeded the permissible limit (PL), whereas one albacore tuna (1/25; 4%) exceeded Finland's PL for As. Except for aluminum, which had higher concentration in oil/brine than in brine alone, there were no variations in other metal concentrations. Although, there is no considerable release of most metals into acetic acid, Fe and Al did, with a leaching median of 32 and 0.16 mg/L, respectively. The average daily intake of arsenic (0.850 mg) was greater than tolerable daily intake (TDI) for adults advised by WHO. The provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) for As (0.085 mg/kg bw/week) also surpassed the advised PTWI. Only 3 out of 30 samples (10%) had PTWIs for Pb above them. The computed non-carcinogenic hazard index (HI) indicating that canned tuna consumption may have health risk for human. The most significant factor in all samples' higher target hazard quotient (THQ) levels was arsenic. This study comprises popular tuna fish species from Thailand, Vietnam, Italy, and Morocco, including skipjack, longtail, albacore, and sardina fish. Thus, it is pertinent to all nations that import tuna from these nations.