بررسی میزان فلزات کادمیوم، نیکل، وانادیوم و روی در بافت های مختلف فیل ماهی و ازون برون و ریسک ناشی از مصرف بافت عضلانی آن ها مربوط به حوضه جنوبی دریای خزر

Background and purpose: High concentrations of heavy metals have always been a major cause of contamination in aquatic ecosystem. Sturgeons are important sources of food and income throughout the world. In this study, concentrations of Cadmium, Vanadium, Nickel and Zinc (Cd, Ni, V and Zn) were examined in edible and inedible tissues of stellate sturgeon (Acipenser stellatus) and beluga (Huso huso) collected from coastal waters of the South Caspian Sea in spring, 2011. Also, the human health risk due to consumption of muscle tissue of stellate sturgeon and beluga were evaluated. Materials and methods: Two species of sturgeons, beluga (n = 4), stellate sturgeon (n = 8), were collected from two of the most important sturgeon fishery zones in Guilan and Golestan provinces and stored at -20°C before chemical analysis. Concentrations of Zn were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometer using an air/acetylene flame (Shimadzu, AA-670, Kyoto, Japan). Concentrations of Cd, Ni and V were determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometer (Shimadzu, AA-670G, Kyoto, Japan). Results: Stellate sturgeon liver showed the highest concentrations of Cd, Ni, V (1.70 ± 0.32, 0.87 ± 0.23 and 2.71 ± 1.44 µg/g dry weight, respectively) and highest concentrations of Zinc (182.26 ± 51.87 µg/g dry weight) in beluga heart (P<0.05). The lowest concentrations of Zn and Cd (16.82 ± 4.90 and 0.006 ± 0.002 µg/g dry weight, respectively) in stellate sturgeon and lowest concentrations of Ni and V (0.08 ± 0.02 and 0.17 ± 0.03 µg/g dry weight) were observed in stellate sturgeon heart and beluga heart, respectively (P<0.05). Conclusion: The mean concentrations of Zn, Cd and V in caviar and muscle samples were lower than the permissible limits proposed by the United Kingdom's Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF 2000) and World Health Organization (WHO). The guidelines for Cd, V and Zn are 0.2, 0.5 and 50 µg/g wet weight, respectively. The measured concentrations for these heavy metals are less than the published guidelines and do not constitute any threat to the human population that may consume these sturgeons obtained from the studied locations.