Assessment of heavy metal concentrations in fish from south western black sea

Abstract

Concentrations of Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn were determined in liver and muscle tissues of eight fish species collected from Middle and Western Black Sea, Turkey. Levels of the examined metals were higher in the liver than those in the muscle. Metal accumulations in the edible muscle tissue of fish were compared with Provisional Tolerable Daily Intakes (PTDI) and Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intakes (PTDWI) for human consumption. The results showed that the mean concentrations of metals were remarkably below the limits of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Health Organization (WHO) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for human consumption.