A Risk Assessment of Heavy Metal Concentrations in Fish and an Invertebrate from the Gulf of Antalya

This study was conducted to determine the levels of Cd, Cu, Zn and Pb in the Red mullet (Mullus barbatus), Grey mullet (Mugil cephalus) and Green tiger prawn (Panaeus semisulcatus) species caught in the Gulf of Antalya and to assess the health risks associated with their consumption. The average values (mg/kg d.w.) were calculated to be Pb (0.29 ± 0.14), Cd (0.02 ± 0.03), Zn (5.64 ± 1.58) and Cu (1.64 ± 1.02) in M. barbatus; Pb (0.22 ± 0.12), Cd (0.02 ± 0.01), Zn (7.66 ± 2.29) and Cu (1.33 ± 0.82) in M. cephalus; Pb (0.25 ± 0.16), Cd (0.04 ± 0.05), Zn (13.33 ± 3.34) and Cu (5.15 ± 2.09) in P. semisulcatus. The detected levels of the studied metals were below the legal and daily intake limits according to national and international standards, although the mean Pb level in M. barbatus was close to the legal limit (0.30 mg/kg). Target hazard quotient values were also all below 1, meaning that there is no health risk.