Unveiling of heavy metal concentration, environmental and health consequences in three marine fish from the Bay of Bengal, India.
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One of the biggest issues harming aquatic organisms in marine environments, including fish, is heavy metal (HML) pollution, which can impact the health of people who consume these species. This study aimed to evaluate nine HML (Nickel (Ni), Vanadium (V), Copper (Cu), Chromium (Cr), Cobalt (Co), Iron (Fe), Selenium (Se), Zinc (Zn), and Manganese (Mn) accumulation in three grouper fish (Epinephelus areolatus, Epinephelus bleekeri, and Epinephelus latifasciatus) with the aim of understanding interspecies differences and estimating the associated environmental and health risks. Results reported that the maximum iron concentration (Fe: 67.44 μg/g wet wt basis) was determined in E. areolatus and the minimum V (0.01 μg/g wet wt basis) in E. latifasciatus, while vanadium in E. bleekeri was below the detection limit. However, the order of elements within species was Fe > Zn > Mn > Se > Cu > Cr > Ni > Co > V for E. areolatus and Fe > Zn > Cu > Cr > Ni > Se > Mn > Co > V for E. bleekeri and E. latifasciatus. From a health risk perspective, the estimated dietary intake (EDI-HML) and weekly intake (EWI-HML) values for all HML were below the safety thresholds, suggesting no immediate non-carcinogenic risk. Similarly, contamination indices suggested low overall contamination. However, the carcinogenic risk (CR-HML) values for Ni and Cr exceeded the acceptable limit, suggesting a potential long-term health concern, particularly among children. Continuous monitoring of HML accumulation in edible marine fish and the implementation of pollution control measures are therefore strongly recommended.