Potential Human Health Risk by Metal(loid)s, 234,238U and 210Po due to Consumption of Fish from the “Luis L. Leon” Reservoir (Northern México)

Abstract

Concentrations of As, Cu, Fe, Hg, Pb and Zn and activity concentrations from 234,238U and 210Po in water, fillet, liver and gills were determined in three stocked fish species from the Luis L. Leon reservoir, located in Northern Mexico. The considered species were Lepomis cyanellus, Cyprinus carpio and Ictalurus furcatus. 238U and 234U activity concentration (AC) in fillet samples showed values of 0.007–0.014 and 0.01–0.02 Bq∙kg−1 wet weight (ww), respectively. Liver samples for L. cyanellus, C. carpio and I. furcatus present 210Po AC of 1.16–3.26, 0.70–1.13 and 0.93–1.37 Bq∙kg−1 ww. Arsenic, mercury and lead concentration intervals in fillet samples were 0.13–0.39, 0.005–0.126 and 0.009–0.08 mg∙kg−1 ww, respectively, while in gill samples they were 0.11–0.43, 0.002–0.039 and 0.02–0.26 mg∙kg−1 ww. The elemental Bioaccumulation Factor (BAF) for fish tissues with respect to their concentrations in water was determined. L. cyanellus showed the highest BAF values for As and total U, being BAFAs = 37 and 40 L∙kg−1 in fillet and gills, respectively, and BAFU total = 1.5 L∙kg−1 in fillet. I. furcatus showed the highest BAF values for Hg and Pb, being BAFHg = 40 and 13 L∙kg−1 in fillet and gills, and BAFPb = 6.5 and 22 L∙kg−1 in fillet and gills, respectively. Some metal(loid) concentrations are slightly higher than European regulations for fish fillets. The difference in concentrations of metal(loid)s in fillet among the studied species is probably due to their differences in diet and habitat.

Risk Assessment of Non-Carcinogenic Effects of Heavy Metals from Dez River Fish

“…In this respect, plenty of studies have been conducted including the ones investigating heavy metals in such species as Cyprinus carpio, Barbus capito, and Chondrostoma regium in Seyhan River, Turkey (7), Yelkoma in the Northeastern Mediterranean (8), and fish in Eretva River, Bosnia Herzegovina (9). Heavy metal concentration and risk assessment in different fish tissues have been determined in Mersing Sea, the east coast of Peninsular, Malaysia (10), and the investigation of potential health risk using some heavy metals of fish consumption have been measured in Luis L. Leon storage, Northern Mexico (11). Also, heavy metal concentrations and their relationship with the health risk of the wild fish caught from Southern China sea (6), and the investigation of biological metal accumulation in the edible tissues of mullet (Mugil liza) in the tropical bay, southeastern Brazil have been determined (3).…”