Mercury concentrations and health risk assessment for two fish species, Barbus grypus and Barbus luteus, from the Maroon River, Khuzestan Province, Iran

Abstract

The purposes of this study are to investigate the concentration of mercury in edible muscle tissues of two popular edible fish species: the Shirbot (Barbus grypus) and Hemri (Barbus luteus), from the Maroon River, Khuzestan Province, Iran, and to assess the risk of their toxicity on human health. We collected 20 samples of each species from the river, and after biometry and determination of their age and sex, concentration of total mercury (assumed to be about 100% methylmercury) was measured. For B. grypus, mercury averaged 0.16 ± 0.02 μg g(-1) wet weight, and for B. luteus, it averaged 0.08 ± 0.02 μg g(-1) wet weight. Although mercury has been reported to accumulate with age, length, and trophic level in many studies, we did not find a significant correlation among age, sex, length, and mercury content in either of these omnivorous species. Mercury levels (maximum 0.37 μg g(-1) wet weight) were below international standards. Consumption of these fish would not pose a serious health hazard to Iranian consumers at the average national consumption of 17.53 g day(-1). However, high-end consumers eating more than 250 g week(-1) and pregnant women should be attentive in choosing fish low in mercury, for example, B. luteus rather than B. grypus.

Hydrochemical characteristics of surface water and ecological risk assessment of sediments from settlements within the Birim River basin in Ghana

“…Temperature and pH are among essential features of the environment since they affect nutrition, growth, metabolic activity and human reproduction. Heavy metals have been revealed to pose a serious threat to human health due to their toxicity, persistence, bioaccumulation in the food chain and nondestructible nature in the environment (Asare-Donkor et al 2015;Asefi and Zamani-Ahmadmahmoodi 2015;Boateng et al 2015;Bortey-Sam et al 2015;Singh et al 2013;Zhang et al 2014). Essential metals, such as Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu play a vital role in the biological processes but turn to be toxic above certain concentrations.…”

Growth Performance, Feed Efficiency and Blood Parameters in Nile Tilapia Exposed to Mercury Toxicity and Its Reduction by Using Dietary Supplementation of Essential Oils

“…Mercury (Hg) considers as one of the most dangerous toxic metals especially in the aquatic situation (Asefi and Zamani-Ahmadmahmoodi, 2015). Mercury can be found in 3 major forms, namely elemental Hg, inorganic Hg, and organic Hg (Looi et al, 2016).…”

Toxic Effects of Mercuric Chloride (HgCl2) on the Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) Larvae and Recovery Using Selenium and Vitamins

“…Among the aquatic fauna, fish are the most sensitive group for heavy metal (El-Gamal 2002; El-Mattary et al, 2019). Moreover, mercuric chloride (HgCl 2 ) is considered one of the most dangerous heavy metals in the aquatic environment (Asefi & Zamani, 2015;El Mattary et al, 2019). Exposure to a high level of inorganic mercuric chloride causes a permanent damage to the kidney and brain of fish…”