Study on heavy metal levels and its health risk assessment in some edible fishes from Nansi Lake, China

Eight heavy metals, namely Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, Cd, Ni, Pb, and As in the muscles of nine fish species collected from Nansi Lake, China. were determined, and the potential health risks to local residents via consumption of the fishes were estimated. The results of two-way ANOVA that showed the concentrations of heavy metals in the investigated fish samples were influenced significantly by fish species and sampling sites. Correlation analysis indicated that sampling sites had significant effects on the levels of correlation coefficients among different heavy metal concentrations. Interestingly, although none of the hazard quotient (HQ) values of any individual element was greater than 1 for the investigated exposure population through fish consumption, the hazard index (HI) values were more than 1 for local fishermen, suggesting that local fishermen may be experiencing some adverse health effects. Among the investigated nine fish species, Cyprinus carpio had the highest HQ and HI. As, Pb, and Cd were the most concerning heavy metals in the investigated fish samples due to their higher relative contributions to the HI values.