Overview
This study measured concentrations of hydrocarbons and six heavy metals (As, Cd, Hg, Pb, Ni, V) in pectoral fin tissue of 40 stellate sturgeon (Acipenser stellatus) harvested from the Caspian Sea, Iran. The Caspian Sea sturgeon fishery is commercially significant, and fin tissue serves as a non-lethal biomonitoring matrix. ICP-MS was the analytical method. The authors also calculated estimated daily intake (EDI) and target hazard quotient (THQ) for human consumers of sturgeon products.
Key numbers
- Sample size: n=40 Acipenser stellatus individuals
- Analytical method: ICP-MS
- Matrix: pectoral fin tissue (used as biomonitoring proxy for body burden; fin is not a primary food matrix but reflects contamination levels relevant to edible muscle tissue)
- Metal order of concentration (mean, approximate rank): V > Ni > As > Pb > Cd > Hg
- Hg: detected at levels below EU regulatory limit for fish (0.5 mg/kg wet weight) in most samples
- Pb and Cd: present but below EU maximum levels for fish muscle
- V and Ni: relatively elevated compared to other species in Caspian studies
- THQ values: less than 1 for all metals at typical consumption levels, indicating no significant non-carcinogenic risk at calculated intakes
- Geographic context: Southern Caspian Sea, Iranian sector; Caspian is an enclosed sea with elevated heavy metal inputs from Volga River industrialized basin and oil extraction activities
Methods (brief)
Pectoral fin samples from n=40 individual Acipenser stellatus; acid digestion followed by ICP-MS (specific instrument and LODs not detailed in extracted text). No speciation for As (total As reported). EDI calculated assuming typical Iranian sturgeon consumer body weight and daily intake rates. THQ compared to USEPA oral reference doses.
Implications
Certification: Sturgeon is a high-value seafood product. This paper provides baseline biomonitoring data for the Caspian sturgeon, which informs the broader seafood heavy metals risk picture. Fin tissue is not the food matrix, but data correlates with muscle tissue contamination.
Courses: Useful example of non-lethal biomonitoring approaches in high-value, critically endangered fish species.
App: Total As reported; iAs speciation not available. EDI and THQ calculations methodology is useful reference.
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Update history
The five most recent substantive edits to this page, classified major (evidence or structure moved), correction (a published value or statement was wrong and has been fixed), or minor (narrative rewritten without changing the underlying evidence). Each description is derived from what the edit did to this page; the linked commit is the authoritative record, routine regeneration passes are excluded, and the full version history lives in git. When DOI minting comes online (see schema docs), each entry below will also link to a version-pinned DataCite DOI.
| Commit | Date | Change | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| a8052bb | 2026-08-09 | major | 6 sections added; narrative text revised |