Afsaneh Azadeh - Student Research Committee, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
Afshin Takdastan - Corresponding author: Environmental Technologies Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
Nematollah Jaafarzadeh Haghighi Fard - Environmental Technologies Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
Ali Akbar Babaei - Environmental Technologies Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
Soleyman Alivand - Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

Background: Heavy metals are considered as pollutants polluting aquatic ecosystems because of their toxic effects and bioaccumulation in organisms. They can cause chronic poisoning when ingested by human. The present study was conducted to determine the concentration of heavy metals, mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and chromium (Cr) in the muscle tissue of Liza abu and Brachirus orientalis fish in Mahshahr, and also, to estimate the risk of muscle consumption of these fish. Methods: Forty samples of both fish species were randomly selected and after preparation and extraction and digestion processes, the metals were measured using ICP-OES Agilent Model ۵۱۰۰. Results: The mean concentrations of Hg, Pb, Cd, and Cr in the muscle tissue of the Liza abu fish were ۰.۶۱۶ ± ۰.۳۸۳, ۱.۲۲۷ ± ۱.۷۷, ۰.۰۷۶ ± ۰.۰۳۰, and ۰.۵۶۷ ± ۰.۲۶۷ mg/kg dry weight, and in the muscle tissue of the Brachirus orientalis fish were ۰.۸۴۶ ± ۰.۶۵۹, ۰.۵۱۵ ± ۱.۲۴۵, ۰.۰۶۱ ± ۰.۰۴۷, and ۰.۵۸۶ ± ۰.۵۴۸ mg/kg dry weight, respectively. HI for Liza abu and Brachirus orientalis was ۰.۰۲۵ and ۰.۳۳۶, respectively. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, the concentrations of Hg and Cr in the muscle tissue of Liza abu and Brachirus orientalis were slightly higher than some global standards such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). HQ index was below ۱ for two fish species, meaning that there was no non-carcinogenic risk. In all samples analyzed, carcinogenic risk Cr was slightly above the permissible limit of ۱×۱۰-۴ to ۱×۱۰-۶ ،other metals were in this range.

Fishes, Hg, Cr, HI, CR