Accumulation and health risk assessment of heavy metals in tissues of the shrimp and fish species from the Yumurtalik coast of Iskenderun Gulf, Turkey

Abstract

In this study, concentrations of heavy metals were determined in the tissues of fish species ( S. solea and S. aurata ) and shrimp (P. semiculatus ) from the Yumurtalık zone of the Iskenderun Gulf, Turkey. The aim of of our study is to evaluate potential risks to human health associated with fish and shrimp consumption. Metals concentrations varied significantly depending on the tissues and species. The concentrations of Cu, Fe, Pb and Zn in fish and shrimp tissues were high, while Cd levels were relatively low. In comparing with the permissible limits set by the European Union and Food and Agricultural Organization for fish and shrimp, mean values of Cu, Fe, and Zn were within acceptable limits, but the mean values of Cd and Pb exceeded the limits. From the standpoint of human health, this study suggests that the observed Pb and Cd accumulation may pose a possible health risk to excessive S. solea and P. Semiculatus consumers in Turkey.

Assessment of Potential Health Risks Associated with the Intake of Heavy Metals in Fish Harvested from the Largest Estuary in Colombia

“…Hg concentration showed a statistically significant correlation with the length and weight of the fish, evidencing a mercury bioaccumulation process in the aquatic biota in the ecosystem, as reported by Marrugo et al for fish species in the large marshes of Achí and Ayapel in the Mojana region of Colombia [41]. In all species, the concentrations of Zn and Cu were found to be the highest, explaining possibly why these metals play a fundamental role in the enzymatic and respiratory processes of fish [42]. Moreover, the average concentration of heavy metals does not exceed the values established by FAO/WHO [37], the European Union [38], and the Colombian maximum limits for heavy metals in fish [39].…”

“…In the case of Hg, it is known that it accumulates in the aquatic food chain, with higher concentrations in predatory fish [18,41,43,44]. For other metals, the concentration is mostly controlled by the habitat, eating habits, metal accumulation capacity, and the type of organism [42,45].…”

Baltic Sea sediments record anthropogenic loads of Cd, Pb, and Zn

“…Anthropogenic metal inputs are reported from seas and coastlines worldwide, e.g., in the East China Sea (Daoji and Daler 2004), Caspian Sea (Bastami et al 2015;Abadi et al 2019), Yumurtalik coast (Aytekin et al 2019), North-East Atlantic (Rodrigues et al 2009), Greenland Sea (Neff 2002a), North Sea, Mediterranean, Black Sea, and Baltic Sea (Tornero and Hanke 2016). Heavy metals can be toxic to humans/animals and are incorporated into the sea food web through water, food, and sediments (Neff 2002a;Tchounwou et al 2012;Aytekin et al 2019). Therefore, heavy metals such as cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) are frequently studied and monitored to avoid negative impacts on society (Skerfving et al 1999;Tchounwou et al 2012) and ecosystems (Neff 2002a;b;Aytekin et al 2019).…”

“…Heavy metals can be toxic to humans/animals and are incorporated into the sea food web through water, food, and sediments (Neff 2002a;Tchounwou et al 2012;Aytekin et al 2019). Therefore, heavy metals such as cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) are frequently studied and monitored to avoid negative impacts on society (Skerfving et al 1999;Tchounwou et al 2012) and ecosystems (Neff 2002a;b;Aytekin et al 2019). In Northern Europe, the unsustainable settlement in the catchment of the Baltic Sea region has turned this waterbody into one of the most polluted seas and dead zones in the world (Borg and Jonsson 1996;Conley et al 2002;Carstensen et al 2014a).…”

Modeling and Optimization of Electrocoagulation Voltage and Water Immersion Time on Heavy Metal Reduction in Fish

“…One of the heavy metals that are often found as waste and are dangerous is Lead (Pb) [3]. Heavy metals pollution in the world has spread to waters such as rivers and seas so that Pb heavy metals spread to the biota like fish [4], [5]. The impact, if humans consume the fish, can cause some negative impacts, i.e., damage to the nervous system, damage to the blood formation system, kidney damage, cancer risk, and even can cause death [6].…”