Health risks and contamination degrees associated with heavy metals in three coastal fish from the Red Sea

Abstract

Abstract This study focuses on the levels of heavy metals (HMCs) in the commonly consumed marine fish from the Aqaba Gulf, Red Sea, Egypt. It evaluates the effectiveness of soaking treatments as a novel approach to reducing HMCs. The order of metals varied among species, with sigan and bongos fish following Mn < Ni < Cu < B < Fe < Zn, while mallas fish followed Mn < Ni < Cu < Zn < Fe < B. The highest level in untreated samples was observed in sigan for Zn (67.60 ± 2.34 µg/g ww-b), while the lowest was recorded in bongos for Mn (0.96 ± 0.07 µg/g ww-b). Soaking treatments significantly reduced HMCs in all species, as confirmed by environmental risk indices. Risk assessments revealed that the hazard index (HI-HMCs) values for children often exceeded the acceptable threshold of HI-HMCs ≤ 1, suggesting potential health risks despite reductions achieved through soaking. Among the soaking methods, the mixed soaked treatment, which combined salt and apple vinegar, showed the most pronounced reduction in metal levels, demonstrating a synergistic effect. In conclusion, while soaking treatments effectively mitigate HMCs contamination, further efforts are required to develop safer fish processing methods, particularly to safeguard vulnerable groups like children.