Metal concentrations in eight fish species from Aegean and Mediterranean Seas

The concentrations of cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, manganese, nickel, lead, and zinc were determined by ICP-AES in muscles and livers of eight fish species sampled from the Aegean and Mediterranean seas of Turkey. Iron showed the highest levels, followed by Zinc in examined tissues of all fish species. Metal concentrations in edible parts of fish species were 0.03-0.37 mg kg (-aEuro parts per thousand 1) for cadmium, 0.02-0.42 mg kg (-aEuro parts per thousand 1) for cobalt, 0.15-1.78 mg kg (-aEuro parts per thousand 1) for chromium, 0.17-1.11 mg kg (-aEuro parts per thousand 1) for copper, 11.0-33.4 mg kg (-aEuro parts per thousand 1) for iron, 0.02-0.89 mg kg (-aEuro parts per thousand 1) for manganese, 0.22-4.03 mg kg (-aEuro parts per thousand 1) for nickel, 0.22-0.64 mg kg (-aEuro parts per thousand 1) for lead, and 2.88-10.9 mg kg (-aEuro parts per thousand 1) for zinc, respectively. All metal concentrations in livers were higher than those in muscles. In some stations, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, and lead concentrations in both muscles and livers of the examined species were higher than permissible safety levels for human uses.