Bakhshalizadeh et al. 2024 — Heavy metals in Caspian stellate sturgeon pectoral fin
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.