Abstract
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Determination of trace element levels (arsenic, As; cadmium, Cd; cobalt, Co; chromium, Cr; copper, Cu;
iron, Fe; lead, Pb; manganese, Mn; nickel, Ni; selenium, Se; and zinc, Zn) in the edible part (muscle) of
golden gray mullet (Liza aurata: Mugilidae) and the potential health risk from consuming this fish were
assessed. Sixty fish were caught by beach seine along the south-central shoreline of the Caspian Sea
(Mazandaran province). Concentrations of trace elements were determined by ICP-AES. The mean con-
centration of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, and Zn in the muscle of golden gray mullet were
1.39, 0.036, 0.260, 0.514, 1.87, 5.66, 1.29, 0.181, 0.971, 2.01 and 7.41 mg kg1 wet weight, respectively.
Although the higher concentrations of Cr and Cu were recorded in this study in comparison to previous
studies, maximum levels of trace elements, except for As and Ni, were lower than the international stan-
dards proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food
of the United Kingdom (MAFF), and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). Daily
intakes of these trace elements through fish consumption were compared with the established values.
The hazard quotients calculated for all trace elements showed that the examined fish are considered safe
for human consumption.
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