Bioaccumulation of essential and toxic metals in four different species of bottom fish in the marmara sea, tekirdag, Turkey: Risk assessment to human health

Abstract

Due to the intensive industrial and agricultural activities in the Thrace region and the maritime transport that directly and/or indirectly affect Tekirdağ coastal areas, the pollution starts from the Tuna River and extends to the Marmara Sea through the Black Sea and the Bosphorus. Heavy metals are not only a threat to marine life, but also to the health of people who consume seafood. In order to investigate the presence of essential and toxic metals in Marmara Sea fish species, samples of 4 different bottom fish (sole, whiting, striped red mullet and angler fish) were collected from 4 different stations in the coastal line of Tekirdağ province in the spring of 2018. Bioaccumulation of essential and toxic metals (Cd, Ni, Cu, Pb, Cr, Mn, Hg, Fe, As, Zn) in the muscles of fish samples was measured by ICP-OES instrument. The accumulation pattern of the analyzed metals in all bottom fish muscles was as follows: Fe (58.8) > Zn (23.9) > Mn (3.3) > As (1.44) > Cu (0.8) > Cr (0.6) > Ni (0.3) > Cd (0.08) mg/kg dry weight. ANOVA analyses indicated significant variations (p < 0.05) of Fe, Zn, Mn, As, Cu, Cr, Ni, and Cd in the muscles of different fish species. Significant variations were observed in different stations (p < 0.05), and As, Pb and Hg were below the detection limit of ICP-OES. Except Cu, the levels of all essential and toxic metals in fish samples were found to be above the national and international legal limits recommended for human consumption. Since the THQ values of inorganic As were higher than 1 mg/kg d·w, it is likely to pose health risk for the consumers of the these fish species. © 2019 Desalination Publications.