Monitoring of Copper and Zinc in Bottom Sediments and Tissues of Tigertooth Croaker (Otolithes ruber) and Assessment of Ecological and Consumer Health Risks in the Oman Sea
Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 MSc. of Marine Biology, Department of Marine Biology, Marine Science Faculty, Chabahar Maritime University
2 Department of Marine Biology, Marine Science Faculty, Chabahar Maritime University, Chabahar, Iran
3 Associate Professor, Department of Marine Biology, Marine Science Faculty, Chabahar Maritime University, Chabahar, Iran
Abstract
Heavy metals are among the most important pollutants in aquatic ecosystems due to their high persistence, toxicity, and bioaccumulation potential, and they can seriously affect the health of aquatic organisms and humans. The aim of this study was to investigate the bioaccumulation of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) in liver and muscle tissues of tigertooth croaker (Otolithes ruber), to assess sediment contamination, and to evaluate ecological risk and non-carcinogenic health risks associated with the consumption of this species in Chabahar Bay and the Oman Sea. Sampling of O. ruber was conducted using gill nets, and surface sediments were collected using a Van Veen grab sampler from five stations—Tis, Ramin, Beris, Pasabandar, and Gowatr—during autumn 2015. After sample preparation and acid digestion, metal concentrations were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The results indicated that the mean concentrations of Cu and Zn in liver tissues were significantly higher than those in muscle tissues (p < 0.05). The highest bioaccumulation levels of both metals were observed in fish collected from the Beris station. Sediment contamination assessment using the contamination factor (CF) showed that Cu ranged from considerable to very high contamination levels, while Zn exhibited moderate to considerable contamination. Human health risk assessment revealed that the estimated daily intakes (EDI) and weekly intake (EWI) values of metals were less than the tolerable daily intake (TDI) of metals. Also, the target hazard quotient (THQ) values for Cu and Zn, were below the critical threshold of 1 at all stations, indicating no significant non-carcinogenic health risk for consumers of O. ruber. Nevertheless, the observed sediment contamination levels and metal accumulation patterns in fish tissues highlight the need for continuous monitoring of heavy metals and effective management of pollution sources in the study area.
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