Health risk assessment of heavy metals-contaminated marine fishes from the Mediterranean Sea at Damietta city coast, Egypt.

This study was carried out to investigate the concentrations of heavy metals in common sole, red porgy, and striped red mullet collected from the Mediterranean Sea at Damietta coast, Egypt, and to assess the effect of fish cooking on their metal levels and the probable health risks from the consumption of heavy metal-contaminated fish. The mean concentrations (mg/kg wet weight) of mercury, arsenic, lead, and cadmium were 0.083, 11.36, 0.32, and 0.037 in common sole; 0.24, 15.03, 0.94, and 0.04 in red porgy; and 0.18, 14.23, 0.98, and 0.05 in striped red mullet, respectively. Interestingly, based on the maximum permissible limit (MPL) set by FAO and the Egyptian Standards, 100 % of fish samples exceeded the MPL for arsenic, while 30 %, 76.6 %, and 80 % of common sole, red porgy, and striped red mullet, respectively, exceeded the MPL of lead, whereas 30 %, 33.3 %, and 36.67 % of the same species, respectively, exceeded the MPL for cadmium. Grilling and frying displayed significant declines in heavy metal concentrations in fish samples. The estimated daily intakes (EDI) of metals tested remained below their Provisional Tolerable Daily Intake (PTDI) values. However, the Target Hazard Quotient (THQ) values for arsenic were 10.35, 9.77, and 7.65 in red porgy, striped red mullet, and common sole, respectively (exceeded 1.0), indicating potential non-carcinogenic health risks. Cancer risk (CR) of arsenic exceeded 1E-4, suggesting that consuming these fish could pose cancer risks. Hence, it is critical to implement stringent measures to prevent heavy metal contamination and ensure compliance with maximum permissible limits.