Heavy Metal Concentrations in Liza saliens Muscle and Human Health Risk Estimates from Fish Consumption in GOMISHAN International Wetland, Iran

Fish is an appropriate bioindicator to assess the contaminations originated from heavy metals in water resources. In this study, we aimed to measure the main Toxic metal concentrations (As, Cd, Cr, Ni and Pb) in muscle of Liza saliens which has an important role in human nutrition and health. The 6 samples were collected from Gomishan wetland by fishing nets during the spring and summer. In the laboratory, after samples digestion with concentrated nitric acid, all metals were analyzed by using both graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometer and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. Mean concentration ans standard deviation of As, Cd, Cr, Pb and Ni were 12.243±2.459, 8.087±3.038, 12.935± 1.806, 15580± 735.39 and 4.529±0.08 (μg/kg dry weight) respectively. We used MVSP software to check out the relationship between metals and biometric characteristics by drawing dendrogram of the cluster analysis. The dendrogram analysis showed that a positive significant correlation exists among As, Cd and Cr concentrations with body length, age (r =+ 0.84) and weight (r =+ 0.6). But a significant negative correlation observed among Pb and Ni concentrations with samples body weight, length and age (r = -0.72). The levels of all metals were below than the established limits, except Pb which was exceeded than the permissible limits issued by international standards. HumanHealth Risk Estimates from fish consumption was done by calculating the hazard index (HI). The Hazard index values for all metals were below 1, except lead and cadmium (more than 1). Whereas HI > 1 suggests the probability of adverse health effects. Although the heavy metals analyzed in the wetland could pose immediate health risk to humans. Because of the fact that the Estimated Daily Intake values of Pb and Cd are more than Reference Dose values specified by EPA, with considering the absorption rate and bio-availability rate of 100% it is proven that a meal consumption of this kind of fish per week is risky for an adult consumers.