Health Risk Assessment of Some Heavy Metals of Saccostrea Cucullata Soft Tissue in Northern Shores of the Gulf of Oman

Abstract

Yasaman Firouzkouhi and Mehran Loghmani

Contamination with adverse effects on food quality and safety is a severe threat to human health. That is why food security assessment is a high-priority issue in the world. This study aimed to determine the concentration of heavy metals and estimate their consumption risk in the of Saccostrea cucullata soft tissue oyster collected (80 samples) from the eastern shores of Chabahar Bay (Gowatr, Beris, Ramin, and Tis) seasons of autumn (2020) and spring (2021). Heavy metal concentrations of the collected samples were measured after bioassay and preparation of soft tissue using an atomic absorption spectrometer. The consumption risk of THQ, estimated daily intake (EDI), and estimated weekly intake (EWI) were also assessed. According to the results, the overall mean concentrations of heavy metals copper, nickel, and cadmium were 145.25, 7.6, and 0.078 μg/g.dry weight, respectively. A significant difference was observed between the seasons in the study of metal concentrations (p<0.05). Estimation of daily and weekly metal intake in adults and children showed that the highest uptake was related to copper and the lowest uptake to cadmium. The consumption risk of THQ for adults and children is less than one, indicating that consumption of S.cucullata in the study area does not pose a health hazard. A comparison of heavy metals with world standards (WHO, FAO, and FDA) indicates high nickel concentrations.

PDF