Bioaccumulation and potential human health risks of metals in commercially important fishes and shellfishes from Hangzhou Bay, China

Hangzhou Bay is facing severe anthropogenic perturbation because of its geographic position. We studied species-specific bioaccumulation of metals in commercially important fishes and shellfishes, and calculated the potential human health hazards through their consumption, which has not been reported earlier from this area. The hierarchy of metal concentration in organisms was in the decreasing order of Zn (10.32 +/- 7.13) > Cu (2.40 +/- 2.66) > As (0.42 +/- 0.26) > Cr (0.11 +/- 0.08) > Cd (0.07 +/- 0.07) > Pb (0.05 +/- 0.02) > Hg (0.012 +/- 0.009). Except for Cd and As concentrations in fishes, metal concentrations have not exceeded the national and international guideline values. P. laevis and P. trituberculatus were the most bioaccumulative of the species studied. According to the non-carcinogenic risk assessment, children were more susceptible to metal contamination than adults. The carcinogenic risk (CR) values indicated that children were likely to experience carcinogenic threats for taking cancer-causing agents As and Cd through fish consumption. In terms of organisms, intake of two crab species, P. trituberculatus and E. sinensis, as well as the oyster species P. laevis, could be detrimental to consumers.

Automated summary

This study investigates the bioaccumulation of metals in commercially important fishes and shellfishes in Hangzhou Bay and evaluates the potential human health hazards posed by their consumption. The results show that while some metal concentrations exceed guideline values, most are within the safe range. Children are more susceptible to metal contamination than adults, and certain species can be detrimental to consumers.