The giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, is an important species for Bangladesh's national economy, aquatic biodiversity, and employment opportunities; furthermore, human health risk associated to consumption of this species has become a crucial issue. Eight trace metals (Pb, Cr, Ni, Cd, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Mn) in different body parts of M. rosenbergii (U/10 as large and U/12 and U/15 as medium size), and water collected from farm and wild sources along with the human health risks were assessed in this study. Except Cd, all trace metals exceeded the maximum permissible limits proposed by different authorities. Elevated levels of Pb, Cr, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Mn were found in the wild-caught prawn, whereas Ni and Cd were higher in farmed prawn. A higher trace metal contamination was recorded from the cephalothorax part than the abdomen of both sized prawns. However, trace metal concentrations between two sizes of prawns were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The estimated daily intakes (EDI) values were higher than the recommended and/or tolerable daily intake for Pb and Cr. Moreover, the target hazard quotient (THQ) values were > 1 for Pb, Cd, Cu, and Zn, elucidating non-carcinogenic risks to the consumers. In addition, the target cancer risk (TR) values of Pb and Ni were high and exceeded the acceptable guideline of 10-6, explicating the possibility of carcinogenic risks. Therefore, the study concludes that the consumption of the studied prawn species contaminated with elevated levels of toxic metals is associated with higher degree of potential health risks.
Keywords: Bangladesh; Farmed prawn; Health risk assessment; Macrobrachium rosenbergii; Trace metal; Wild sources of prawn.