The health risk assessment of heavy metals to human health through the consumption of Tilapia spp and catfish caught from Lake Mariut, Egypt

Marketing of Freshwater and Marine Fish Species in Alexandria City, Egypt: Human Health Risk of Specific Metals

Fish intake may constitute a significant route by which humans are exposed to metals, especially people who depend on fish as a source of protein as Alexandrians. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the metal contents in muscles in eight commonly consumed freshwater (Tilapia, Catfish, and Common Carp) and marine fish species (Emperors, Groupers, Mackerels, Silver Pomfret, and Roving Groupers) collected from the local markets located in Alexandria City for a 1-year calendar year, 2022. Seasonal variations in the levels of the tested metals in the fish species, with significant differences between the species, were recorded. Also, the levels of Cu, Zn, Fe, Co, and Cd in all the tested fish species collected during the experiment did not exceed the guideline limits, while Ni, Cr, and Pb in fish collected during October-May, June-September, and February-May 2022, respectively, exceeded the permissible limits settled by FAO and WHO. Additionally, Mackerels and Roving Groupers had high-level contents of Mn that exceeded the permissible limits settled by European Commission. The accumulation of these metals in muscles of different fish species had relative variation in the accumulation, and Cu was the most predominant element in Tilapia, Zn in Catfish, Roving Groupers, and Mackerels, Fe in Common Carp, Groupers, Emperors, and Silver Pomfret, and Co in Tilapia. Consumption of fish with a high Metal Pollution Index (MPI) value may pose a potential public health risk. On the meantime, the calculated values of estimated daily intakes (EDI), hazard index (HI), and target health quotient (THQ) indicated no potential health risk for Alexandrians via the consumption of these fish species because they did not exceed the World Health Organization's acceptable daily intake.

A Comprehensive Assessment of Health Risks Associated with Heavy Metal Through Ingestion of Two Predominant Fish Species in a Developing Country

The existence of heavy metal pollutants in fish within aquatic ecosystems presents a threat to human health due to trophic shift. This research sought to identify the concentrations of cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and chromium (Cr) in two economically significant cultured fish species, pangus (Pangasius hypophthalmus) and catla (Labeo catla), which were sourced from key fish markets in Khulna, Bangladesh. Nevertheless, there has been a scarcity of studies addressing the metal concentrations in these species within this region. To evaluate the levels of trace elements, atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) was employed following the acid digestion of the samples. The concentrations of Cd, As, Cu, Pb, and Cr were observed as 0.372, 0.232, 0.741, 0.758, and 1.356 mg/kg in pangus and 0.395, 0.297, 1.175, 0.616, and 0.959 mg/kg in catla fish, respectively. The concentrations of Pb and Cd exceeded the maximum permissible limits established by the FAO and WHO. Apart from Cu, the estimated daily intakes (EDI) for both seasons and age groups exceeded the recommended daily allowance (RDA), indicating that other trace elements could be detrimental to human health. In contrast, the calculated hazard index (HI) and total hazard quotient (THQ) remained below 1, suggesting that the fish examined would not pose health risks to adults but the HI value for children surpassed the acceptable limit. Moreover, Cd (for adult group) and Cd and Cr (for children group) surpassed the acceptable range for carcinogenic risk (CR), and the total carcinogenic risk (TCR) exceeded the permissible limit for both groups. This study concluded that studied fishes may represent a health risk for consumers, underscoring the necessity for ongoing monitoring of trace elements in other fish species within that catchment area.

A Review of Potentially Toxic Elements in Sediment, Water, and Aquatic Species from the River Ecosystems

There is concern over potential toxic elements (PTEs) impacting river ecosystems due to human and industrial activities. The river's water, sediment, and aquatic life are all severely affected by the release of chemical and urban waste. PTE concentrations in sediment, water, and aquatic species from river ecosystems are reported in this review. Among the PTEs, chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and nickel (Ni) revealed high pollution levels in water and aquatic species (fish and shellfish) at many rivers. The Karnaphuli, Ganga, and Lee rivers have high levels of Pb and Cd contamination, while the Buriganga and Korotoa rivers' water had notable Ni contamination. A number of rivers with PTEs showed ecological risk as a consequence of the sediment's potential ecological risk (PER), the pollutant load index (PLI), and the geoaccumulation index (Igeo). A comprehensive study suggests elevated PLI values in river sediments, indicating significant pollution levels, particularly in the Buriganga River sediment, marked by high Igeo values. The PER of the Shitalakshya and Buriganga rivers was marked as very high risk, with an Eir > 320, while the Dhaleshwari and Khiru rivers showed 'high risk', with 160 = Eir < 320. It was found that fish and shellfish from the Buriganga, Turag, and Swat rivers have a high concentration of Cr. PTE pollution across several river sites could pose health toxicity risks to humans through the consumption of aquatic species. The CR value shows the carcinogenic risk to human health from eating fish and shellfish, whereas an HI value > 1 suggests no carcinogenic risk. The occurrence of other PTEs, including manganese (Mn), arsenic (As), and nickel (Ni), significantly increases the ecological risk and concerns to aquatic life and human health. This study emphasises the importance of PTE toxicity risk and continuous monitoring for the sustainability of river ecosystems.

Proximate composition, microbial quality and heavy metal concentration of fresh Nile tilapia fillet in Lake Tana, Ethiopia

Nowadays, consumption of fish is becoming a public health concern due to quality and safety issues. This study was designed to assess the proximate composition, microbial quality, and heavy metal accumulation in the Nile tilapia fillet at three selected landing sites in Lake Tana. Fifteen samples were collected and analyzed. The mean moisture, ash, fat, protein, salt, and water activity were 81.76%, 0.98%, 1.88%, 14.04%, 0.14%, and 0.9869, respectively. The proximate contents varied slightly among sites but were not significantly different (p > 0.05). The mean aerobic mesophilic bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, total coliform, and fecal coliform counts were 6.30 log CFU/g, 2.91 log CFU/g, 1.51 log MPN/g, and 0.89 log MPN/g, respectively. Such high microbial loads and the high counts of fecal coliforms are indicative of poor handling practices and unsanitary processing that might lead to foodborne illnesses and economic losses. In addition, the mean concentration of heavy metals in the tissue samples decreased in the order of chromium (0.165 mg/kg) > arsenic (0.085 mg/kg) > lead (0.054 mg/kg) > cadmium (0.010 mg/kg). Except for chromium, the concentrations of the assessed metals were below the maximum permissible limits. Long-term chromium exposure, especially in its hexavalent form, can pose significant health risks like respiratory issues, gastrointestinal distress, and even cancer. Therefore, identifying contamination sources, employing proper waste management strategies, continuous monitoring of heavy metal levels, and proper fish handling practices are highly recommended to address the health implications of microbial contamination and elevated chromium concentrations.

Carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks associated with the consumption of fishes contaminated with heavy metals from Manzala Lake, Egypt

Manzala Lake was sampled to assess the concentrations and possible ecological risks of heavy metals. The mean heavy metal levels in the muscles of Nile tilapia, Flathead grey mullets and African catfish were 0.01, 0.15 and 0.29 mg/kg, respectively, for mercury; 3.16, 4.25 and 4.74 mg/kg for arsenic; 1.01, 0.87 and 0.95 mg/kg for lead; and 0.05, 0.12 and 0.06 mg/kg for cadmium. The levels of heavy metals exceeded their maximum permissible limits in most samples. The EDIs of some metals were higher than their PTDIs or BMDLs. The THQs and TTHQs from metal intake were >1 for Hg and Cd. In addition, the TCR values of As in all fish species were higher than 1.0 × 10-4 indicating a potential health risks from consumption of fish species which need strict hygienic procedures to prevent fish contamination with heavy metals and ensure that their levels did not exceed the maximum permissible limits.

Metal/metalloid bioconcentration dynamics in fish and the risk to human health due to water contamination with atmospheric particulate matter from a metallurgical industrial area

Settleable atmospheric particulate matter (SeAPM) containing a mixture of metals, including metallic nanoparticles, has increased throughout the world, and caused environmental and biota contamination. The metal bioconcentration pattern in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) was evaluated during a 30-day exposure to 1 g L-1 SeAPM and assessed the human health risk from consuming fish fillets (muscle) based on the estimated daily intake (EDI). SeAPM was collected surrounding an iron ore processing and steel industrial complex in Vitória city (Espírito Santo, Brazil) area. Water samples were collected daily for physicochemical analyses, and every 3 days for multi-elemental analyses. Metal bioconcentrations were determined in the viscera and fillet of fish every 3 days. The elements B, Al, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Rb, Sr, Ag, Cd, Pb, Hg, Ba, Bi, W, Ti, Zr, Y, La, Nb, and Ce were analyzed in SeAPM, water, and fish using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The metal concentration in SeAPM-contaminated water was higher than in control water. Most metals bioconcentrated preferentially in the fish viscera, except for the Hg and Rb, which bioconcentrated mostly in the fillet. The bioconcentration pattern was Fe > Al > Mn > Pb > V > La > Ce > Y > Ni > Se > As > W > Bi in the viscera; it was higher than the controls throughout the 30-day exposure. Ti, Zr, Nb, Rb, Cd, Hg, B, and Cr showed different bioconcentration patterns. The Zn, Cu, Sr, Sn, Ag, and Ta did not differ from controls. The differences in metal bioconcentration were attributed to diverse metal bioavailability in water and the dissimilar ways fish can cope with each metal, including inefficient excretion mechanisms. The EDI calculation indicated that the consumption of the studied fish is not safe for children, because the concentrations of As, La, Zr, and Hg exceed the World Health Organization's acceptable daily intake for these elements.

Human health risk assessment of potentially toxic elements and microplastics accumulation in products from the Danube River Basin fish market

The present study aimed to quantify the concentration levels of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) such as aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, nickel, lead, zinc, and mercury, as well as microplastics occurrence in various tissues of fish and seafood species, commercialized in the Lower Danube River Basin. A health risk assessment analysis was performed based on the PTEs concentration levels in the muscle tissue. Estimated daily intake (EDI), target hazard quotient (THQ), hazard index (HI), and target cancer risk (TR) of PTEs were calculated. It was observed that the species within the seafood category registered the highest levels of PTEs. For instance, in the muscle tissue of bivalve Mytilus galloprovincialis (from the Black Sea), the highest value was observed in the case of Zn (37.693 mg/kg), and the presence of polystyrene polymer was identified. The values associated with EDI, THQ, HI, and TR of PTE exposure were significantly lower than 1.

Health risk assessment of heavy metals in Coptodon zillii and Parachanna obscura from a tropical reservoir

In this study, the concentrations of trace metals were examined in commercially important fish, Coptodon zillii and Parachanna obscura from Osu reservoir. These were with a view to providing baseline information on the levels of heavy metals and its associated risks to human health through fish consumption. Fish samples were collected fortnightly for five months using fish traps and gill nets with the assistance of local fisherman. They were brought into the laboratory in an ice chest for identification. The fish samples were dissected and the gills, fillet and liver kept in freezer and later analyzed for heavy metals based on Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometric (AAS) method. The data collected were subjected to appropriate statistical software packages. The results revealed that the concentration of the heavy metals in P. obscura and C. zillii across the tissues were not significantly different (p > 0.05) from each other. Also, the mean concentration of heavy metals in the fish were below the recommended limits of FAO and WHO. The target hazard quotient (THQ) for each heavy metals were below one (1) while the estimated hazard index (HI) for C. zillii and P. obscura showed no threat to human health risk through the consumption of the fish species. However, continuous consumption of the fish could probably cause health risk to the consumers of the fish. According to the study's findings, human consumption of fish species with low concentration of heavy metals at the current accumulating level is safe.

Metals bioaccumulation, possible sources and consumption risk assessment in five Sillaginid species, a case study: Bandar Abbas (Persian Gulf) and Chabahar Bay (Oman Sea), Iran

In this study, the concentrations of 10 metals (As, Al, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn) in different tissues (gill, muscle and otolith) of five sillaginid species (Sillago arabica, S. attenuata and S. sihama from the Persian Gulf and S. indica, S. sihama and Sillaginopodys chondropus from the Oman Sea) were analyzed using ICP-MS, and the potential human health risk assessment for local consumers was also conducted using standard indices. The concentration of trace metals (μg g^-1 dw) in fish ranged from 0.24 to 16.09 (As), 7.88 to 167.51 (Al), 0.005 > -0.866 (Cd), 0.006 > -7.95 (Cr), 1.02-5.58 (Cu), 24.86 to 390.85 (Fe), 0.005 > -1.93 (Hg), 0.021 > -7.80 (Ni), 0.33-4.41 (Pb) and 4.78-170.43 (Zn). The levels of trace metals varied significantly among sampling sites, fish species and their tissues. Gill tissues accumulate higher concentrations of the analyzed elements, except for As and Hg, whose higher concentrations were found in muscle tissues. Among the species, S. sihama in the Persian Gulf showed the highest levels of toxic metals compared to the other species. The dendrogram of metal association in fish muscle tissues revealed that Ni, Cr, Cd, Pb and Hg in muscles mainly originated from anthropogenic sources, especially petroleum activities. A second dendrogram based on the association of these five metals in the muscle tissue separated the sillaginid species of the Persian Gulf from the Oman Sea. The mean concentrations of the analyzed metals in the edible tissues were lower than international standards of maximum permissible limits (MPL), except for inorganic As (_iAs) and Pb. The index of estimated daily intake (EDI) for Cr and Hg in all sillaginid species, and _iAs, Pb and Ni only in the Persian Gulf's sillaginid species was higher than the recommended values. The value of the target hazard quotient (THQ) indicated that the intake of individual heavy metals due to the consumption of sillaginid species was safe for human health (except Hg in S. arabica) whereas combined heavy metals' intake revealed potential health problems in the case of increased consumption for all three sillaginids in the Persian Gulf. Target cancer risk (TR) for _iAs in all species and Cd, Cr and Ni in Persian Gulf species was higher than the acceptable range. The results indicated the health issues associated with high consumption, especially for sillaginids in the Persian Gulf, which should be considered in food safety monitoring for local people in the area.