Study on heavy metals levels and its risk assessment in edible fish (Himantura imbricate) from Persian Gulf

Abstract

Heavy metals are contaminants of great environmental concern due to their multiple origins (natural and anthropogenic), the ability to accumulate in organs and tissues, and the deleterious effects they can cause in organisms. Studies on the accumulation of metals in seafood, such as fish, have increased in importance due to the risk for human health when consuming fish contaminated by metals. The present work was aimed at verifying the concentrations of cadmium (Cd), Nickel (Ni) and lead (Pb) in the muscular tissue of Himantura imbricate (from the Persian Gulf in Hormozgan province, Iran. Samples were analyzed by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. There were significant variations among heavy metal accumulation levels of the species and their regions. The heavy metal concentrations found in regions varied for Cd: 0.14, Ni: 0.33, Pb: 0.02 in Qeshm and Cd: 0.25, Ni: 0.48, Pb: 0.03, µg/g in Suoroo. The heavy metal concentrations of fish in Qeshm were lower than those of fish from Suoroo regions. This research showed that heavy metal concentrations in muscle of investigated specie were also lower than the maximum levels set by law