The purpose of the current study is to evaluate the levels of seven heavy metals (arsenic, copper, zinc, mercury, lead, cadmium and iron) and metal (aluminium,) in the edible tissues of Scophthalmus maximus, Spicara maena, Chelidonichthys lucerna, Alosa fallax and Scorpaena porcus caught in Sinop coasts of the Black Sea. The samples were obtained during the fishing season in 2013 directly from the Turkish fishing vessels. Hg, Cd and Pb were not detected in the edible part of all fish samples. The metal levels in edible tissues did not exceed the standard guideline values. Estimated hazard index (HI) suggest that these metals in the edible tissues of the fish were not toxic for consumers, where the HIs of all the considered metals were below the value of 1.

Introduction. The coastal contamination of the Black Sea has been an important issue for several decades. Heavy metals are the most harmful contaminants which affect people health. The research objective of the present study was to determine the amounts of Cd, Hg, Pb, Cu, and Zn found in the whiting (M. merlangus L.) and the red mullet (M. barbatus L.). These Black Sea bottom fish species have the highest commercial value. The obtained data were used to assess the risk which the fish represents for human consumers. Study objects and methods. The elements were detected using an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). The amounts of the metals arranged in the following order: Zn > Cu > Pb > Hg > Cd. Results and discussion. The mean values of Cd, Hg, Pb, Cu, and Zn in the edible tissues were 0.013, 0.024, 0.07, 0.195, and 9.05 mg/kg wet wt. for whiting and 0.017, 0.036, 0.05, 0.29, and 6.4 mg/kg wet wt. for red mullet, respectively. These levels proved lower than the permitted values set by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries of the UK (MAFF), Turkish Food Codex (TFC), and EU Commission Regulation. The target hazard quotient (THQ) for all the elements via consumption of whiting and red mullet were also low. Conclusion. Hazard index (HI) was ˂ 1, which means that the fish caused no health problems in people who consumed whiting and red mullet caught in the southern Black Sea during the fishing seasons of 2017–2018. The carcinogenic risk index (CRI) for whiting and red mullet was also considered insignificant.

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In the present study, turbot Psetta maxima were selected and analyzed for the Zn, Cu, Pb and Cd concentrations in the muscles, livers and gonads. The results revealed that Zn concentrations were the highest followed by Cu; Pb and Cd being the lo west in the tissues (muscle) and organs (gonads and liver). The liver metal concentrations showed the highest values, whereas the muscle concentrations were the lowest. A co mparison between the concentration of each metal found in males and females found significant differences between the sexes for all metals.

The current research was performed to detect the heavy metal amounts (Hg, As, Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn) in one of the most common fish species (Scorpaena porcus Linnaeus, 1758) captured from the south shores of the Black Sea during the fishing season in 2016. Heavy metals were examined by using ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectrophotometer). The amounts of the metals (Hg, Pb and Cd) in some specimen were under the detection limits. The maximum levels of all measured metals are as low the recommended limit by the admitted organizations. It was shown that the measured metal amounts in edible tissue of the S. porcus were under the well-being levels for people consumption for the average Estimated Daily Intake (EDI) and Hazarded Index (HI˂1).