Assessment of Heavy metal concentrations in the muscles of Common carp (Cyprinus carpio L., 178) from the southern coast of the Caspian Sea and potential risks to human health

In this study, the concentrations of Cd, Pb, Cu, Mn, and Co were analyzed in the muscles of Cyprinus carpio collected from Nowshahr on the south of Caspian Sea, Iran in June 2016. Determination of heavy metals concentrations in the studied fish muscles had been carried out by a graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometer. The range of metals concentrations were as: Cd: 0.10–1.56, Pb: 0.10–1.23, Cu: 0.88–8.23, Mn: 0.34–1.05 and Co: 0.56–1.43 mg/kg wet weight. The results showed that the concentrations of Cd, Pb, Cu, Mn, and Co in the muscles of C. carpio were lower than the proposed limits of the WHO. Health risks to human via dietary intake of fish were assessed by the target hazard quotients (THQs). The THQ values of the five metals (Cd, Pb, Cu, Mn and Co) were below 1 for C. carpio. Metal concentrations in the edible part of C. carpio were assessed for human uses according to provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) and provisional tolerable daily intake (PTDI). In this study, Cd, Pb, Cu, Mn and Co concentrations in the muscle of C. carpio were below the maximum permissible limit of the WHO.