Trace element concentrations and associated human health risk assessment in canned tuna, city of Neyshabur, Iran

Seafood is considered a healthy and nutritious food, but the presence of toxic substances in such foods is a serious problem. The present study aimed to analyze the concentration of some toxic metals in seafood and evaluate their noncarcinogenic risks to consumers. Samples were digested according to the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists (AOAC) standard. The heavy metals concentration of Cd, Ni, Hg, Pb, and Sn in 30 canned tuna samples were determined using an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The mean concentrations of Cd, Ni, Sn, Pb, and Hg were 0.7, 0.49, 1.03, 0.31, and 0.12 mu g g- 1, respectively. Based on these results, the concentrations of Cd, Sn, and Hg in samples met the required standards. However, the concentrations of Ni and Pb in some samples were higher than the permissible limits. The mean values of Sn, Ni, Pb, Hg, and Cd in samples followed a decreasing order. Since the values of the health risk index for these samples were lower than the HI and HRI risk threshold (<1), they can be consumed without any problems arising.HighlightsThe metal concentration was measured in the four most popular brands of canned fish sold in Neyshabur City, Iran.Some samples exceeded the maximum permissible level of nickel (Ni) and lead (Pb).A significant correlation was observed between Ni concentration with Pb and Hg concentrations and Pb concentration with Cd concentration.The values of the health risk index (HRI) for noncarcinogenic health risks were lower than 1.The calculated Hazard index (HI) for adult and child consumers was less than 1.The HI values were greater for children than for adults.