Are the fish captured from Kor River, Fars (Iran), safe to eat?

Abstract

A total of 75 samples of two species of cyprinid fishes, Cyprinus carpio and Capoeta sp., were collected from three sections of the upper, middle and lower parts of the Kor River in the Fars province, and were analyzed for the determination of Pb, Hg, Cd and As concentrations by the Induction Coupled Plasma method. The average concentrations of Pb in muscle tissues of male Cyprinus carpio and Capoeta sp. were 0.77 ± 0.19, 0.41 ± 0.14 (mg kg^{− 1}); while they were 1.03 ± 0.66, 0.42 ± 0.45 (mg kg^{− 1}) for Hg, 0.08 ± 0.01, 0.08 ± 0.01(mg kg^{− 1}) for Cd and 0.51 ± 0.06, 0.36 ± 0.11 (mg kg^{− 1}) for As (Mean ± SE), respectively. In female Cyprinus carpio and Capoeta sp., the concentrations of Pb were 0.66 ± 0.20 and 0.41 ± 0.15 (mg kg^{− 1}), Hg were 0.49 ± 0.45 and 0.32 ± 30 (mg kg^{− 1}), Cd were 0.24 ± 0.01 and 0.26 ± 0.02 (mg kg^{− 1}) and As were 0.39 ± 0.12 and 0.42 ± 0.13 (mg kg^{− 1}), respectively. The concentrations of heavy metals in mid sampling zone were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than the two other zones; while no significant differences (P > 0.05) were seen in heavy metals assay between the two sexes and species.

The results showed industrial activities around the mid sampling zone of Kor River have polluted the River and the maximum concentrations of Pb, Hg and As residues in fish muscles were 1.46, 0.64 and 1.34 mg kg^{− 1}, which are higher than the maximum levels allowed in fish filets by Environment Protection Agency (EPA) (2, 1 and 5 mg kg^{− 1}), and are therefore not suitable for human consumption.

Keywords:

• contaminated fish
• health
• heavy metals