Get started
Work

Tissue-specific distribution of toxic metals and dietary risk indicators in commercial marine fish from the Chabahar coast, Oman Sea

Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The accuracy of seafood safety evaluations in industrializing coastal ecosystems has been constrained by the lack of integrated and tissue-specific assessments. This study addresses this gap by tailoring a comprehensive, multi-indicator evaluation of heavy metal, selenium–mercury interactions, and associated human health risks in three commercially important marine fish species from the Chabahar coast in the Oman Sea. A total of 36 specimens were analyzed across muscle, liver, and kidney tissues, accompanied by Se: Hg molar ratio, selenium health benefit value (HBV Se ), and advanced risk metrics. Results revealed a highly significant tissue-dependent accumulation pattern, with liver and kidney indicating higher metal concentrations than muscle. The highest concentrations were observed in C. chanos , including Hg (0.175 mg kg⁻¹) in the kidney and Se (6.11 mg kg⁻¹) and As (4.69 mg kg⁻¹) in the liver, whereas the highest muscle Hg concentration was detected in S. putnamae (0.046 mg kg⁻¹). Selenium consistently exceeded Hg, resulting in high Se: Hg molar ratios (30.4–470) and positive HBV Se values (≤ 77.4 µmol kg⁻¹), indicating a potential mitigating interaction between Se and Hg. Human health risk assessment illustrated low non-carcinogenic risk, and the cumulative hazard index (0.159–0.270) remained below the safety threshold. For As, the carcinogenic risk value for C. chanos exceeded the upper reference value of 10 − 4 , when the cancer slope factor for inorganic As was applied to the estimated inorganic-As fraction (10% of total-As concentration). This study provided an integrated framework linking metal interactions, bioaccumulation, and health risk indices, presenting applicable insights for improved seafood safety regulation.
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-76076-w
Language: English
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,690
OpenAlex ID: W7225574177
FWCI:
Cites:
Cited by:
Related to: 10