Edible Muscle Research Articles

Parasite to patient: A quantitative risk model for Trichinella spp. in pork and wild boar meat

Consumption of raw or inadequately cooked pork meat may result in trichinellosis, a human disease due to nematodes of the genus Trichinella. In many countries worldwide, individual control of pig carcasses at meat inspection is mandatory but incurs high costs in relation to absence of positive carcasses from pigs reared under controlled housing. EU regulation 2015/1375 implements an alternative risk-based approach, in view of absence of positive findings in pigs under controlled housing conditions. Moreover, Codex Alimentarius guidelines for the control of Trichinella spp. in meat of suidae have been published (CAC, 2015) and used in conjunction with the OIE terrestrial Animal health code, to provide guidance to governments and industry on risk based control measures to prevent human exposure to Trichinella spp. and to facilitate international pork trade.To further support such a risk-based approach, we model the risk of human trichinellosis due to consumption of meat from infected pigs, raised under non-controlled housing and wild boar, using Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA) methods. Our model quantifies the distribution of Trichinella muscle larve (ML) in swine, test sensitivity at carcass control, partitioning of edible pork parts, Trichinella ML distribution in edible muscle types, heat inactivation by cooking and portion sizes. The resulting exposure estimate is combined with a dose response model for Trichinella species to estimate the incidence of human illness after consumption of infected meat. Paramater estimation is based on experimental and observational datasets.In Poland, which served as example, we estimated an average incidence of 0.90 (95%CI: 0.00–3.68) trichinellosis cases per million persons per year (Mpy) due to consumption of pork from pigs that were reared under non-controlled housing, and 1.97 (95%CI: 0.82–4.00) cases per Mpy due to consumption of wild boar.The total estimated incidence of human trichinellosis attributed to pigs from non-controlled housing and wild boar in Poland, is similar to the incidence of human trichinellosis in that country reported by EFSA. Overall, in Europe, we estimated an upper incidence limit of 5.3×10−4 cases per Mpy, or less than one predicted case of trichinellosis in the European Union every 4years, due to consumption of pork from controlled housing. Therefore, Trichinella testing of pigs under controlled housing is not adding any value to protect human health. We suggest applying our farm-to-fork QMRA model to further support decision making on the global scale.

Saturated Branched Chain, Normal Odd-Carbon-Numbered, and n-3 (Omega-3) Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Freshwater Fish in the Northeastern United States.

The fatty acid profiles of wild freshwater fish are poorly characterized as a human food source for several classes of fatty acids, particularly for branched chain fatty acids (BCFA), a major bioactive dietary component known to enter the US food supply primarily via dairy and beef fat. We evaluated the fatty acid content of 27 freshwater fish species captured in the northeastern US with emphasis on the BCFA and bioactive polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) most associated with fish, specifically n-3 (omega-3) eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Mean BCFA content across all species was 1.0 ± 0.5% (mean ± SD) of total fatty acids in edible muscle, with rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) and pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus) the highest at >2% BCFA. In comparison, EPA + DHA constituted 28% ± 7% of total fatty acids. Across all fish species, the major BCFA were iso-15:0, anteiso-15:0, iso-16:0, iso-17:0 and anteiso-17:0. Fish skin had significantly higher BCFA content than muscle tissues, at 1.8% ± 0.7%, but lower EPA and DHA. Total BCFA in fish skins was positively related with that in muscle (r2 = 0.6). The straight chain saturates n-15:0 and n-17:0 which have been identified previously as markers for dairy consumption were relatively high with means of 0.4% and 0.6%, respectively, and may be an underappreciated marker for seafood intake. Consuming a standardized portion, 70 g (2.5 oz), of wild freshwater fish contributes only small amounts of BCFA, 2.5-24.2 mg, to the American diet, while it adds surprisingly high amounts of EPA + DHA (107 mg to 558 mg).

Metals, As and Se determination by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) in edible fish collected from three eutrophic reservoirs. Their consumption represents a risk for human health?

This study evaluated the concentration of Al, V, Cr, Mn, Zn, Fe, Ni, Cu, As, Se, Sr, Mo, Ag, Cd, Hg and Pb measured in muscle of Odontesthes bonariensis (silverside fish) captured from three eutrophic reservoirs in the Province of Córdoba (Argentina). For this purpose, an alternative digestion method was optimized for the mineralization of samples, and then inorganic elements were determined by ICP-MS.Potential human health risks, associated with the consumption of these elements, have been assessed estimating the average daily intake (EDI) in children and adults. Additionally, we evaluated the target hazard quotient (THQ) and the carcinogenic risk (CR) in both general population and fishermen. The consumption of edible muscles of Odontesthes bonariensis from three reservoirs pose a toxicological risk for humans, being Hg, As, and Pb the main elements increasing health risks through fish consumption. Furthermore, for both, general population and fishermen, the risk of cancer caused by As is greater than the acceptable lifetime risk of 10−4. Our current results indicate that fish consumption from studied reservoirs should be extremely limited to minimize the potential health risks to consumers. Results from this study are helpful for pollution control and risk management of metals, mainly As, not only in Argentina but also in other areas around the world, with similar health problems associated with this metalloid consumption.

Assessment of heavy metal pollution risks in Yonki Reservoir environmental matrices affected by gold mining activity.

This study reports the heavy metal (Hg, Cd, Cr, Cu, and Pb) contamination risks to and safety of two species of fresh water fish (tilapia, Oreochromis mossambicus and carp, Cyprinus carpio) that are farmed in the Yonki Reservoir in the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea (PNG). The upper reaches of the reservoir are affected by alluvial and large-scale gold mining activities. We also assessed heavy metal levels in the surface waters and sediments and in selected aquatic plant species from the reservoir and streams that intersect the gold mining areas. The water quality was acceptable, except for the Cr concentration, which exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO) standard for water contamination. The sediments were contaminated with Cd and Cu in most of the sampling stations along the upstream waters and the reservoir. The Cd concentration in the sediments exceeded the US Environmental Protection Agency's Sediment Quality Guideline (SQG) values, and the geoaccumulation index (Igeo) values indicated heavy to extreme pollution. In addition, the Cd, Cu, and Pb concentrations in aquatic plants exceeded the WHO guidelines for these contaminants. Between the fish species, tilapia accumulated significantly higher (P<0.05) Cu in their organ tissues than carp, confirming the bioaccumulation of some metals in the aquatic fauna. The edible muscles of the fish specimens had metal concentrations below the maximum permissible levels established by statutory guidelines. In addition, a human health risk assessment, performed using the estimated weekly intake (EWI) values, indicated that farmed fish from the Yonki Reservoir are safe for human consumption.

Mercury accumulation in marine fish most favoured by Malaysian women, the predictors and the potential health risk.

We identified marine fish species most preferred by women at reproductive age in Selangor, Malaysia, mercury concentrations in the fish muscles, factors predicting mercury accumulation and the potential health risk. Nineteen most preferred marine fish species were purchased (n=175) from selected fisherman's and wholesale market. Length, weight, habitat, feeding habit and trophic level were recognised. Edible muscles were filleted, dried at 80°C, ground on an agate mortar and digested in Multiwave 3000 using HNO3 and H2O2. Total mercury was quantified using VP90 cold vapour system with N2 carrier gas. Certified reference material DORM-4 was used to validate the results. Fish species were classified as demersal (7) and pelagic (12) or predators (11), zoo benthos (6) and planktivorous (2). Length, weight and trophic level ranged from 10.5 to 75.0cm, 0.01 to 2.50kg and 2.5 to 4.5, respectively. Geometric mean of total mercury ranged from 0.21 to 0.50mg/kg; maximum in golden snapper (0.90mg/kg). Only 9% of the samples exceeded the JECFA recommendation. Multiple linear regression found demersal, high trophic (≥4.0) and heavier fishes to accumulate more mercury in muscles (R 2=27.3%), controlling for all other factors. About 47% of the fish samples contributed to mercury intake above the provisional tolerable level (45μg/day). While only a small portion exceeded the JECFA fish Hg guideline, the concentration reported may be alarming for heavy consumers. Attention should be given in risk management to avoid demersal and high trophic fish, predominantly heavier ones.

HEAVY METAL RESIDUES IN SOME MANZALA LAKE FISHES

This study aimed to determine the content of heavy metals as lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic in edible muscles of three common freshwater fishes like Nile tilapia, Flathead grey mullet and African catfish. A total of 300 freshly caught fish samples (100 each) of different weights collected from Manzala Lake, Egypt during both summer and winter seasons of 2012 have been analyzed using air acetylene flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The obtained results revealed that the presence of lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic in all (100%) examined samples by means of 0.704 µg/g, 0.635 µg/g and 0.64 µg/g for Pb, 0.045 µg/g, 0.0145 µg/g and 0.017 µg/g for Hg, 0.025 µg/g, 0.006 µg/g and 0.020 µg/g for Cd and 0.511 µg/g, 0.621 µg/g and 0.568 µg/g for As in Nile tilapia, Flathead grey mullet and African catfish , respectively. heavy metal concentrations were significantly varied within and between the studied fishes. However, a significant correlation among heavy metals was observed. This study indicated that various concentrations of heavy metals exist in sampled fish species and most of those levels are within the maximum permissible limits proposed by the Egyptian standards except for Pb, its level exceeded the permissible limits in the majority of tested samples. Therefore, fish caught from Manzala Lake can be considered unsafe for human consumption

Estimation of target hazard quotients for heavy metals intake through the consumption of fish from Sirvan River in Kermanshah Province, Iran

The aim of this research was to investigate concentrations of cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) in the muscle, gill, and liver of common carp ( Cyprinus carpio ), tuwini ( Capoeta trutta ), and Grass carp ( Ctenopharyngodon idella ) from Sirvan River, Kermanshah Province, Iran, during November to December 2014. This investigation was conducted in order to determine the potential health risk of the intake of these metals through the consumption of the edible parts of fish and also to assess the safe dietary intake levels of these metals. The results of the present study indicated that the highest and lowest accumulated metal concentrations were related to Zn and Cd, respectively. Moreover, the metal concentrations in the gill and liver were higher than in the muscles of the three fish species. The target hazard quotients (THQs) for an adult with mean body weight of 71.5 kg were below 1 based on Cd, Pb, Cr, Cu, and Zn levels. In conclusion, the obtained results indicated that the levels of metals in the edible muscle of fish species in this study were below the level of concern for human consumption.

Tetrodotoxin levels in pufferfish (Lagocephalus sceleratus) caught in the Northeastern Mediterranean Sea

The toxicity of tetrodotoxin (TTX) in pufferfish (Lagocephalus sceleratus) from Mersin Bay in the Northeastern Mediterranean Sea was measured using a mouse bioassay (MBA) and LC–MS–MS. Pufferfish were caught by trawl fishing, longlining and fishing line from December 2012 to October 2013. Changes in the levels of TTX in the gonads, livers, intestines, skins and muscles as a function of season and sex were determined. The gonads of female fish were toxic in all seasons (>2μg/g), whereas the gonads of male fish were only toxic in the spring and autumn. The highest TTX levels in gonads, livers, intestines and skins of female fish were 52.1, 46.2, 7.64 and 3.43μg/g, respectively, using LC–MS–MS. The TTX level in the muscle of female fish in winter was 2.83μg/g but was otherwise below the toxic limit. Consequently, it can be dangerous to consume pufferfish, including the edible muscle, from the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.

Baseline concentration of Polonium-210 (210Po) in tuna fish

Several species of tuna fish were analyzed for 210Po content in their edible muscle tissues. This study was carried out as a part of baseline data generation around a large nuclear power plant situated at Kudankulam, southeast coast of India. The concentration of 210Po in the muscle tissue ranged from 40.9±5.2 to 92.5±7.9Bq/kg of fresh fish, and the highest activity was recorded for the tuna Euthynnus affinis and the lowest for Auxis thazard. The committed effective dose to the local residents was calculated to be 62.7–141.8μSvyear−1.

Replacement of fish oil with alternative lipid sources in plant-based practical feed formulations for marine shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) reared in outdoor ponds and tanks

The objective of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of partial substitution of menhaden fish oil by alternative lipid sources (soybean oil, poultry grease and flaxseed oil) in non-marine protein-based shrimp production diet, its influence on fatty acid profile and its final product flavour. Results for the pond study (17 weeks) showed no differences (P ≥ 0.05) in shrimp production among different test diets. Production ranged from 5070 to 5363 kg ha−1; mean final weight, 18.0 to 21.6 g; weekly growth, 1.04 to 1.25 g; survival, 65.6 to 75.4%; and FCR, 1.37 to 1.45. Results from the tank trial (12 weeks) confirmed these findings, final weight, 13.8–14.8 g; weekly growth, 1.1–1.2 g; survival, 92.5–98.3%; FCR, 1.05–1.11; and final standing crop, 4738–5024 kg ha−1. The fatty acids profiles of edible tail muscle reared on the various diets displayed a similar fatty acid profile to that of the diets. The sensory test showed no statistical differences in texture, appearance, aroma and flavour between the shrimp fed diets containing menhaden fish oil and soybean oil. These studies demonstrated that practical shrimp feeds containing non-marine protein ingredients and a percentage of fish oil replaced by alternative lipid sources had no negative impact on mean final weight, weekly growth, survival, FCR, final standing crop, fatty acids profile and organoleptic properties of Litopenaeus vannamei.

Mercury concentrations and health risk assessment for two fish species, Barbus grypus and Barbus luteus, from the Maroon River, Khuzestan Province, Iran.

The purposes of this study are to investigate the concentration of mercury in edible muscle tissues of two popular edible fish species: the Shirbot (Barbus grypus) and Hemri (Barbus luteus), from the Maroon River, Khuzestan Province, Iran, and to assess the risk of their toxicity on human health. We collected 20 samples of each species from the river, and after biometry and determination of their age and sex, concentration of total mercury (assumed to be about 100% methylmercury) was measured. For B. grypus, mercury averaged 0.16 ± 0.02 μg g(-1) wet weight, and for B. luteus, it averaged 0.08 ± 0.02 μg g(-1) wet weight. Although mercury has been reported to accumulate with age, length, and trophic level in many studies, we did not find a significant correlation among age, sex, length, and mercury content in either of these omnivorous species. Mercury levels (maximum 0.37 μg g(-1) wet weight) were below international standards. Consumption of these fish would not pose a serious health hazard to Iranian consumers at the average national consumption of 17.53 g day(-1). However, high-end consumers eating more than 250 g week(-1) and pregnant women should be attentive in choosing fish low in mercury, for example, B. luteus rather than B. grypus.

Evaluation of Elemental Distributions in Wild-Caught and Farmed Pangasius sp. Using Pattern Recognition Techniques

The concentrations of Na, Mg, K, Ca, Cr, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, and Pb in various tissues of Pangasius sp. were determined using microwave-assisted digestion/inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry. The clustering tendency related to elemental patterns associated with tissue variants and fish habitats were explored using hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis. The results revealed that the general elemental accumulation pattern was strongly dependent on the type of tissue, whereas latent deviations within particular tissue samples can be linked to the natural variability between wild-caught and farmed fish. The inherent elemental patterns allowed us to differentiate between those wild-caught and farmed fish through linear discrimination analysis with 100% precision. In terms of food safety, the elemental concentrations in edible muscle were found to be far below the legal limits, as the associated health risks at the 90th percentile were well within tolerable regions, although wild-caught fish were found to pose a higher risk.

Potential human health risk assessment of heavy metals via the consumption of tilapia Oreochromis mossambicus collected from contaminated and uncontaminated ponds.

Fish tilapia Oreochromis mossambicus were collected from a contaminated Seri Serdang (SS) pond potentially receiving domestic effluents and an uncontaminated pond from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). The fish were dissected into four parts namely gills, muscles, intestines, and liver. All the fish parts were pooled and analyzed for the concentrations of Cd, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, and Zn. Generally, the concentrations of all metals were low in the edible muscle in comparison to the other parts of the fish. It was found that the levels of all the heavy metals in the different parts of fish collected from the SS were significantly (P<0.05) higher than those from UPM, indicating greater metal bioavailabilities in the SS pond. The sediment data also showed a similar pattern with significantly (P<0.05) higher metal concentrations in SS than in UPM, indicating higher metal contamination in SS. Potential health risk assessments based on provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) and the amount of fish required to reach the PTWI values, estimated daily intake (EDI), and target hazard quotient (THQ) indicated that health risks associated with heavy metal exposure via consumption of the fish's muscles were insignificant to human. Therefore, the consumption of the edible muscles of tilapia from both ponds should pose no toxicological risk of heavy metals since their levels are also below the recommended safety guidelines. While it is advisable to discard the livers, gills, and intestines of the two tilapia fish populations before consumption, there were no potential human health risks of heavy metals to the consumers on the fish muscle part.

Labeling and label free shotgun proteomics approaches to characterize muscle tissue from farmed and wild gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata)

The proteome characterization of fish muscle tissues, together with the relative expression of each individual protein, provides knowledge on the biochemical response of the organisms and allows to assess the effect of different types of feeding, growth site and nutritional quality of the investigated species. This type of study is usually performed by gel-based proteomics approaches, however shotgun proteomics can serve as well, reducing analysis time and improving sample high-throughput. In this work, a shotgun proteomics method was thus developed and then applied to the characterization of gilthead sea bream edible muscle. The sarcoplasmic protein fraction was extracted, in-solution digested by trypsin and finally analyzed by nanoHPLC high resolution tandem mass spectrometry. Two different quantification strategies were also tested. One was based on chemical dimethyl labeling and the other one on label free quantification. A comparison between these two analytical workflows was performed, to evaluate their individual performance in the analysis of fish samples and assess the differences induced by farming practice on the final commercial product with respect to wild gilthead sea bream. Quantitative differences were detected, and the most relevant one regarded the common fish allergen parvalbumin, found overexpressed in farmed fish samples.

Effect of Industrial Wastewater on Fish in Karoon River

Abstract In 2009, 36 fish were sampled from two stations in the Karoon River near an industrial site. Two species of fish, Barbus grypus and Hypophthalmichthys molitrix were analyzed for total mercury (Hg) concentration in liver and muscle tissues. The average concentrations of total Hg in liver of B. grypus were 18.92 and 10.19 μg.g-1 in stations 1 and 2 respectively. The corresponding values for total Hg in edible muscle of Barbus grypus were 8.47 and 0.08 μg.g-1. The average concentrations of Hg in the liver of H. molitrix were 25.49 and 12.52 μg.g-1 in stations 1 and 2 respectively. The values for H. molitrix were 11.88 and 3.2 μg.g-1 in station 1 and station 2 respectively. The results showed that the bioavailability of Hg has increased considerably after industrialization and that these values were higher than the standard values as a result of anthropogenic activities in the region.

Differences in compositions of free amino acids, nucleotide-related compounds, and fatty acids between sexes of the coconut crab Birgus latro in Okinawa, Southwest Japan

Despite the dietary utilization of the coconut crab Birgus latro throughout history, little is known about its nutritional composition and quality. This study assessed the differences between male and female coconut crabs caught in Okinawa, southwest Japan, in meat yield and compositions of free amino acids (FAA), nucleotide-related compounds (NRC), and fatty acids in muscle and hepatopancreas. The ratios of edible muscle and hepatopancreas to whole body weight were similar in males and females. Although concentrations of histidine and tryptophan in muscle and AMP in hepatopancreas differed in males and females, these differences were small, as were taste activities and equivalent umami concentrations, suggesting that the tastes of these tissues in males and females would be nearly identical. Fatty acid composition in muscle differed lightly between the sexes, with amounts of the 20:5n-3 and 22:6n-3 being significantly greater in males. However, the ratio of n-3 to n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids and atherogenic and thrombogenic indices suggested that all lipids from both males and females are healthy for humans. There were no noticeable differences between the sexes in meat yield; FAA, NRC and fatty acid compositions; or nutritional qualities.

Health risk assessment of trace elements in two fish species of Sanandaj Gheshlagh Reservoir, Iran

The main purpose of this study was to determine heavy metal levels (Cd, Pb, Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn, and Fe) in the edible muscle, gill, liver, and skin of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), in Sanandaj Gheshlagh Reservoir (SGR), Iran to evaluate their hazard levels in relation to the maximum residual limits for human consumption. The results indicated that Fe accumulated the highest level of metal in the organs of both fish species. Moreover, the highest and lowest level of metals has been accumulated in the gill and skin organs respectively. The statistical analysis indicated that the metal concentrations differed significantly among liver, gill, edible muscle, and skin in C. carpio and H. molitrix. Furthermore, the results of this study showed that the maximum allowable fish consumption rate for an adult person with mean 71.5 kg body weight were 2128, 136, 638, 1280, and 1124 g/day based on g/day based on Cd, Cu, Cr, Zn, and Fe levels respectively. In conclusion, results showed that the metal concentrations in the edible muscle of both fish species are below levels of concern for human consumption.

Standardization of sodium metabisulfite solution concentrations and immersion time for farmed shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei

Sodium metabisulfite is the main additive used in the prevention of melanosis in shrimp; however, it has currently been employed with great variation in concentration by producers. Thus, the aim of the present study was to determine the correlation between the concentration of the sodium metabisulfite solution and immersion time of the whole shrimp to obtain the concentration of sulfur dioxide (SO2) in the edible muscle of farmed shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) in accordance with the limit established by law. For this, solutions of sodium metabisulfite at different concentrations (1%, 2 %, 3 %, 4% and 5%) were prepared and samples of L. vannamei shrimp (100g) were immersed during 10, 20 or 30 minutes at temperature of 7°C. For all treatment assayed the concentration of SO2 was determined in the edible muscle of farmed shrimp (L. vannamei). The results show that for the conditions used in this study, the correlations were linear, with significant increase (P&lt;0.05) in the SO2 concentration in the edible muscle of shrimps both increasing sodium metabisulfite concentration as increasing immersion times, suggesting the immersion of shrimps in a 3% solution for a time of 13 minutes in order to obtain SO2 concentration of 100ppm in its edible muscle in accordance with Brazilian legislation

Distribution and health risk assessment of trace metals in freshwater tilapia from three different aquaculture sites in Jelebu Region (Malaysia)

The trace metal concentrations in edible muscle of red tilapia (Oreochromis spp.) sampled from a former tin mining pool, concrete tank and earthen pond in Jelebu were analysed with microwave assisted digestion-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Results were compared with established legal limits and the daily ingestion exposures simulated using the Monte Carlo algorithm for potential health risks. Among the metals investigated, arsenic was found to be the key contaminant, which may have arisen from the use of formulated feeding pellets. Although the risks of toxicity associated with consumption of red tilapia from the sites investigated were found to be within the tolerable range, the preliminary probabilistic estimation of As cancer risk shows that the 95th percentile risk level surpassed the benchmark level of 10−5. In general, the probabilistic health risks associated with ingestion of red tilapia can be ranked as follows: former tin mining pool>concrete tank>earthen pond.

Assessment of heavy metal contamination in Hediste diversicolor (O.F. Müller, 1776), Mugil cephalus (Linnaeus, 1758), and surface sediments of Bafa Lake (Eastern Aegean).

In the present study, the bioaccumulation of six heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb, and Zn) in Hediste (Nereis) diversicolor (O.F. Müller, 1776) and also in the muscle and liver of Mugil cephalus (Linnaeus, 1758) collected from seven stations in the Bafa Lake was investigated. Sediment samples were also collected in each site to assess heavy metal levels and to provide additional information on pollution of the lake. The mean concentrations of heavy metals in sediment, H. diversicolor, and muscle and liver of the fish were found to be in the magnitude of Cr>Pb>Zn>Cu>Cd>Hg, Zn>Cu>Cr>Pb>Hg>Cd, Zn>Cu>Pb>Cr >Hg>Cd, and Cu>Zn>Cr>Cd>Pb>Hg, respectively. Hg, Cu, and Zn in H. diversicolor and Hg and Zn in muscle and also Hg, Cd, Cu, and Zn in liver of fish accumulated in a higher degree than in sediment. There was no clear relationship between metal concentrations in sediments, polychaetes, and fish, except Cr. According to international criteria and Turkish regulations, Pb and Zn values in edible muscle of the fish collected from stations S6 and S5 exceeded the food safety limits, respectively. The results of this study suggest that these sentinel species can be considered as good anthropogenic biological indicators for heavy metal pollution along the Bafa Lake.