Health risk assessment of heavy metal toxicity in the aquatic environment of the Persian Gulf

Mahmoud Taghavi; Amir Shadboorestan; Laleh R Kalankesh; Afshin Mohammadi-Bardbori; Hamid Reza Ghaffari; Omid Safa; Gholamreza Farshidfar; Mahmoud Omidi

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116360

Health risk assessment of heavy metal toxicity in the aquatic environment of the Persian Gulf

Mar Pollut Bull. 2024 May:202:116360. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116360. Epub 2024 Apr 17.

Authors

Mahmoud Taghavi¹, Amir Shadboorestan², Laleh R Kalankesh³, Afshin Mohammadi-Bardbori⁴, Hamid Reza Ghaffari⁵, Omid Safa⁶, Gholamreza Farshidfar⁷, Mahmoud Omidi⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Iran.
² Department of Toxicology, Faculty of Medical Science, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
³ Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Iran.
⁴ Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
⁵ Department of Environmental Health, School of Health, Food Health Research Center, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran.
⁶ Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Food Health Research Center, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran.
⁷ Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran.
⁸ Food Health Research Center, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran. Electronic address: toxicology@hums.ac.ir.

PMID: 38636344
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116360

Abstract

This study aims to explore the potential health risks linked to four heavy metals/metalloids (Pb, Cd, As, Hg) present in four commercially important fish species (Scombromorus commerson, Pseudorhombus elevatus, Thunnus tonggol and Otolithes ruber) in the Persian Gulf. Metals in fish muscle tissue were analyzed via ICP-MS. The analysis revealed that Scombromorus commerson (except for Pb) and Thunnus tonggol (except for As) exhibited the highest and lowest contamination levels, respectively. The Hazard Index findings highlighted arsenic and mercury as the most hazardous elements. However, the Target Hazard Quotient values for each metal and fish species remained within safe thresholds. The highest and lowest Total Carcinogenic Risk was concerning Pseudorhombus elevates (As: 7.41-E05), and Thunnus thonggol (Pb: 3.21-E07), respectively. TCR analysis suggests that the cancer risk of studied metals was below the negligible level (TCR < 10^-6) or within the acceptable level (10^-6 < TCR < 10^-4), potentially not posing carcinogenic risks through extended consumption.

Keywords: Commercial fish; Environmental pollution; Health risk; Heavy metals; Persian Gulf.

MeSH terms

Animals
Arsenic / analysis
Environmental Monitoring*
Fishes*
Indian Ocean
Metals, Heavy* / analysis
Risk Assessment
Water Pollutants, Chemical* / analysis
Water Pollutants, Chemical* / toxicity

Substances

Metals, Heavy
Water Pollutants, Chemical
Arsenic