Revealing nutritional value and metal(loid)s and minerals in fish species in Çıldır Lake, Türkiye: assessment of risks to human health, fish gender and size-relevant difference.

Abstract

In the study, concentrations of 20 metal(loid)s and minerals (MMs) were investigated in the gills, muscle and liver of Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum, 1792) and Squalius turcicus (De Filippi, 1865) living in Çıldır Lake (Türkiye) using ICP-MS. All the tissues were found to have MM concentrations (As, Cr and Ga) lower than the limit of detection (<LOD). So these MMs were excluded from analysis. As understood from literature review, the effects of the weight, length and gender of the examined fish on MM concentrations in tissues, health risks from metal(loid)s and nutritional significance of essential minerals were comprehensively addressed in the current study. It was concluded that there weren't any constant patterns between fish size and MM accumulation. It was also seen that the fish species provided consumers with enough amounts of essential minerals such as Ca, K, Mg, P, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn. In both O. mykiss and S. turcicus, metal(loid) pollution index values ranked as gills > liver > muscle. Assessment of risks to consumers' health indicated that the muscle tissue had lower MM levels than the regulatory limits. Health risk assessment methodologies demonstrated that MM levels in the fish muscle tissues generally fell below regulatory limits, indicating their safety for consumption. The weekly safe consumption limit for Hg in O. mykiss was found to be 300 g and the corresponding limit for Hg in S. turcicus was 100 g. The findings pointed out that the nutritional benefits provided for consumers by the consumption of the fish were more than the possible health risks associated with metal(loid) exposure. In general, the significance of observing MM level in fish, ensuring food safety and protecting human health are emphasized in the research.