Trace Metal Contamination in Marine Fish Species: Implications for Food Safety and Human Health

Marine fish contaminated with trace metals can pose serious health hazards to the coastal people and other consumers. This research presents a comprehensive assessment of five trace metals (Cd, Zn, Pb, Hg, Cr) using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS) and Direct Mercury Analyzer (DMA) in 18 marine fish species representing different feeding habits and layers collected from the northern Bay of Bengal with source-specific human health risk. Total metal concentration was in the following order: Zn > Cr > Pb > Hg > Cd, with Cd detected only in two species, whereas other metals were detected across all species. All species exceeded dietary safety thresholds for Cr. The metal pollution index (MPI) highlighted low pollution for all studied species, with Strongylura leiura having the highest MPI value. Unmix receptor modelling identified three pollution sources, namely coal burning, metal-related industries, and historical gasoline and lead-acid batteries (LABs). The total cancer risk (TCR) of two species exceeded the cancer risk thresholds, highlighting potential health risk to consumers, whereas the target hazard quotient (THQ) was less than 1 for all species. Overall, this study highlights the need for a more nuanced approach to managing pollution contributors to safeguard the marine ecosystem and public health. This finding emphasizes that region-specific management plans focusing on high-risk sources should be integrated into coastal policy frameworks.