Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Assessing the Potential Health Risk from Mercury Through Consumption of the Most Popular and Preferable Fish Species, Rutilus frisii kutum, on the Northern Coast of Iran

  • Published:
Biological Trace Element Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Due to the importance of Caspian kutum (Rutilus frisii kutum) in the nutrition and health of consumers, a study was conducted to evaluate the concentration of mercury and its associated health risk for this species, its predators, and the people. Samples were collected from the fish at the four best-selling stations, Bandar Torkaman, Bander Anzali, Fereydunkenar, and Chalos, with mean mercury concentrations in the samples from the stations being 49.4, 132.6, 103.6, and 107.6 μg/g respectively. Mercury in the muscle tissue of the collected samples increased from east to west in the southern Caspian Basin. The mercury concentrations at all stations were below the permissible international levels for this heavy metal, suggesting no or low potential health risk. However, due to the toxicity and other harmful properties of mercury, it is necessary to monitor the values of this element as well as other pollutants in fish species to assess the health risk.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Gu YG, Huang HH, Lin Q (2016) Concentrations and human health implications of heavy metals in wild aquatic organisms captured from the core area of Daya Bay’s Fishery Resource Reserve, South China Sea. Environ Toxicol Pharmacol 45:90–94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.etap.2016.05.022

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Giri S, Singh AK (2013) Assessment of human health risk for heavy metals in fish and shrimp collected from Subarnarekha river, India. Int J Environ Health Res:37–41. https://doi.org/10.1080/09603123.2013.857391

  3. Zhang L, Wong MH (2007) Environmental mercury contamination in China: sources and impacts. Environ Int 33:108–121

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Malvandi H, Esmaili-Sari A, Aliabadian M (2014) Mercury contamination in Khramulia (Capoeta capoeta) from the Cheshme Kile and Zarrin Gol Rivers in Iran and human health risk assessment. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 93:472–477. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-014-1335-1

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Djermanovic M, Baralic I, Pejic S (2019) Total mercury levels in commercial fish in market of the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Biol Trace Elem Res 194:1–7. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-019-01805-4

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Malvandi H, Sarvary Korojdeh M, Azimi S (2020) Assessment of mercury contamination in Perch species in the southern Caspian Sea. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-020-00730-1

  7. Davoodi SH, Agah B, Aghamolaei T et al (2018) Fish consumption based on transtheoretical model among housewives. J Educ Health Promot:7

  8. Laird MJ, Henao JJA, Reyes ES, Stark KD, Low G, Swanson HK, Laird BD (2018) Mercury and omega-3 fatty acid profiles in freshwater fish of the Dehcho Region, Northwest Territories: informing risk benefit assessments. Sci Total Environ 637-638:1508–1517. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.04.381

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Wang P, Chen S wei, Chen Z hui, et al (2019) Benefit–risk assessment of commonly consumed fish species from South China Sea based on methyl mercury and DHA. Environ Geochem Health 41:2055–2066. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-019-00254-1

  10. Malvandi H, Alahabadi A (2019) Evaluation of potential human health risk due to the exposure to mercury via fish consumption of Alosa spp. from the southern Caspian Sea. Mar Pollut Bull 143:66–71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.04.042

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Nejatkhah Manavi P, Mazumder A (2018) Potential risk of mercury to human health in three species of fish from the southern Caspian Sea. Mar Pollut Bull 130:1–5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.03.004

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Gbogbo F, Arthur-Yartel A, Bondzie JA, Dorleku WP, Dadzie S, Kwansa-Bentum B, Ewool J, Billah MK, Lamptey AM (2018) Risk of heavy metal ingestion from the consumption of two commercially valuable species of fish from the fresh and coastal waters of Ghana. PLoS One 13:1–17. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0194682

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Martínez-Salcido AI, Ruelas-Inzunza J, Gil-Manrique B, Nateras-Ramírez O, Amezcua F (2018) Mercury levels in fish for human consumption from the Southeast gulf of California: tissue distribution and health risk assessment. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 74:273–283. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-017-0495-5

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Baki MA, Shojib MFH, Sehrin S, Chakraborty S, Choudhury TR, Bristy MS, Ahmed MK, Yusoff SB, Khan MF (2019) Health risk assessment of heavy metal accumulation in the Buriganga and Turag River systems for Puntius ticto, Heteropneustes fossilis, and Channa punctatus. Environ Geochem Health. 42:531–543. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-019-00386-4

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Zarghami M (2019) Effect of urban pollutants on distribution of benthic foraminifera in the Southern of Caspian Sea. Proc Int Acad Ecol Environ Sci 9:24

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Malvandi H (2017) Preliminary evaluation of heavy metal contamination in the Zarrin-Gol River sediments , Iran. Mar Pollut Bull 117:547–553. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.02.035

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Alahabadi A, Malvandi H (2018) Contamination and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals and metalloids in surface sediments of the Tajan River, Iran. Mar Pollut Bull 133:741–749. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.06.030

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Fazli H, Kor D, Daryanabard G (2014) Spatial and temporal distribution of Kutum (Rutilus frisii kutum, Kamensky 1901) in Iranian waters of the Caspian Sea TT. ISFJ 23:63–74. https://doi.org/10.22092/ISFJ.2017.110163

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Fazli H, Daryanabard GR, Pourgholam R et al (2012) Qualitative assessment of Caspian kutum (Rutilus frisii kutum Kamensky 1901) stocks in Iranian waters of the Caspian Sea (1991-2011). ISFJ 21:53–64. https://doi.org/10.22092/ISFJ.2017.110055

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Shafiei Sabet S, Imanpoor MR, Aminian Fatideh B, Gorgin S (2015) Study on morphological structure of Kutum population (Rutilus frisii kutum) in southern of Caspian Sea using Truss network system. J Environ Sci Technol 17:115–126

    Google Scholar 

  21. Abdoli A, Naderi M (2009) Biodiversity of fishes of the southern basin of the Caspian Sea. Abzian Scientific Publication

  22. Barone G, Storelli A, Garofalo R, Busco VP, Quaglia NC, Centrone G, Storelli MM (2015) Assessment of mercury and cadmium via seafood consumption in Italy: estimated dietary intake (EWI) and target hazard quotient (THQ). Food Addit Contam - Part A Chem Anal Control Expo Risk Assess 32:1277–1286. https://doi.org/10.1080/19440049.2015.1055594

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Varol M, Kurt G, Alp A (2017) Heavy metal and arsenic concentrations in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) farmed in a dam reservoir on the Firat (Euphrates) River: risk-based consumption advisories. Sci Total Environ 599-600:1288–1296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.05.052

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Hosseini SM, Mirghaffari N, Mahboobi Soofiani N, Hosseini SV (2011) Risk assessment of mercury due to consumption of kutum of the Caspian Sea (Rutilus frisii kutum) in Mazandaran Province. J Nat Environ Iran J Nat Resour 64:423–257

  25. Forooghi R, Esmaeli Sari A, Ghasempouri SM (2007) Correlation of length and weight with mercury concentration in different tissues of Kutum Roach (Rutilus frisii kutum) in central south of Caspian Sea. Iran Sci Fish J 15:97–102

  26. Pourguolam R, Nasrollalahzade Sarvavi H, Rezaei M, Varedi SE (2013) Study on some heavy metals contatamination and risk assessment in mscle tissue of Rutilus frisii kutum and Liza saliens of Caspian Sea. Jouranl Mar Sci Technol Res 7:67–84

  27. Monsefrad F, J Imanpour Namin, Heidary S (2012) Concentration of heavy and toxic metals Cu , Zn , Cd , Pb and Hg in liver and muscles of Rutilus frisii kutum during spawning season with respect to growth parameters. Iran J Fish Sci 11:825–839.

  28. Dadar M, Adel M, Saravi HN, Dadar M (2016) A comparative study of trace metals in male and female Caspian kutum (Rutilus frisii kutum) from the southern basin of Caspian Sea. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23:24540–24546. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-6871-2

  29. Heshmati A, Momtaz JK, Nili-ahmadabadi A, Ghadimi S (2017) Dietary exposure to toxic and essential trace elements by consumption of wild and farmed Carp (Cyprinus carpio) and Caspian kutum (Rutilus frisii kutum) in Iran. Chemosphere 173:207–215. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.01.009

  30. Salehi Borban S, Gharachorloo M, Zamani F (2017) Check Amount of heavy metals in muscle and fish oil Rutilus frisii kutum, Clupeonella cultriventris and Liza saliens. J Food Hyg 6:75–87.

  31. Ebadi Fathabad A, Tajik H, Shariatifar N (2019) Heavy metal concentration and health risk assessment of some species of fish, Rasht, Iran. J Maz Univ Med Sci 28:118–132

  32. Norouzi M, Bagheri Tavani M, Amirjanati A, Ghodrati S (2017) Concentration of heavy metals in tissues of golden gray mullet (Liza aurata) in different areas of the southern coast of the Caspian Sea. Environ Sci 14:201–214.

  33. Dadar M, Adel M, Saravi HN, Fakhri Y (2017) Trace element concentration and its risk assessment in common kilka (Clupeonella cultriventris caspia Bordin , 1904) from southern basin of Caspian Sea. Toxin Rev. https://doi.org/10.1080/15569543.2016.1274762

  34. Nasrollahzadeh Saravi H, Pourgholam R, Pourang N, et al (2013) Heavy metal concentrations in edible tissue of Cyprinus carpio and its target hazard quotients in the southern Iranian Caspian Sea coast, (2010). J Maz Univ Med Sci 23:33–44.

  35. Asefi M, Zamani-Ahmadmahmoodi R (2015) Mercury concentrations and health risk assessment for two fish species, Barbus grypus and Barbus luteus, from the Maroon River, Khuzestan Province, Iran. Environ Monit Assess 187:653. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-015-4845-3

  36. Łuczyńska J, Łuczyński MJ, Paszczyk B, Tońska E (2016) Concentration of mercury in muscles of predatory and non-predatory fish from lake Pluszne (Poland). J Vet Res 60:43–47. https://doi.org/10.1515/jvetres-2016-0007

  37. Lepak JM, Hooten MB, Eagles-Smith CA, Tate MT, Lutz MA, Ackerman JT, Willacker JJ Jr, Jackson AK, Evers DC, Wiener JG, Pritz CF, Davis J (2016) Assessing potential health risks to fish and humans using mercury concentrations in inland fish from across western Canada and the United States. Sci Total Environ 571:342–354. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.03.031

Download references

Acknowledgments

The author is grateful to Somayeh Azimi and Mina Sarvari Korojdehi for their field and laboratory assistance. Thanks are extended to Mr Chris Banks, who improved the draft and added valuable comments to the manuscript.

Funding

This work was part of a research project supported by Iran National Science Foundation-Science deputy of presidency through grant No. 96008256.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Hakim Sabzevari University, 379 post box, Sabzevar, Khorasan Razavi, 9617916487, Iran

    Hassan Malvandi

Authors
  1. Hassan Malvandi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hassan Malvandi.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

Approval from the institutional animal care committee was not required because samples of fish caught in local markets and fishing ports were used for this study. In other words, the specimens of the animals studied were not merely captured for the purpose of this study, but were captured by fishermen for human consumption and then the authors purchased them for this study.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Malvandi, H. Assessing the Potential Health Risk from Mercury Through Consumption of the Most Popular and Preferable Fish Species, Rutilus frisii kutum, on the Northern Coast of Iran. Biol Trace Elem Res 199, 1604–1610 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-020-02248-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-020-02248-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation