Risk assessment of heavy metals exposure from consumption of salted-sun-dried fish

Abstract

AbstractThis study assessed concentrations of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and mercury (Hg) in ten types of salted sun-dried fish from Thailand, along with health risks and effects of cooking methods. Elemental analysis employed inductively coupled plasma triple quadrupole mass spectrometry, with statistical evaluation via two-way ANOVA and Tukey’s test (p < 0.05). In raw samples (wet weight), concentrations ranged from 0.004–4.533 mg/kg for As, 0.0003–0.059 mg/kg for Cd, 0.016–0.117 mg/kg for Hg, and 0.003–0.022 mg/kg for Pb. When compared using dried weight, cooking methods did not significantly affect heavy metal concentrations (p > 0.05). Non-carcinogenic risk via margin of exposure (MOE) for inorganic As (iAs) flagged concerns for Yellowstripe trevally, especially boiled samples in children (3–12.9 years) and fried samples across ages (MOE < 2). For Pb, MOE values below 100 were observed in nearly all fish species across almost all age groups for boiling and frying methods, except for Longtail tuna, King mackerel, and Threadfin fish. Carcinogenic risk assessment for iAs showed potential health concerns (CR > 0.0001) for boiled Yellowstripe Trevally consumers aged 3–5.9 years and ≥18 years. These findings emphasize the importance of selecting safer fish species to minimize harmful.