Health risk assessment of metal intake from fish species caught from the Danube River in Serbia

Marija Starčević; Branislav Stojanović; Radivoje Anđelković; Nataša Glamočlija; Milica Laudanović; Radmila Mitrović; Milan Ž. Baltić

doi:10.18485/meattech.2025.66.3.15

Marija Starčević Ministry of Defence of Republic of Serbia, Military Health Department, Veterinary Service Centre, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0857-5218
Branislav Stojanović Ministry of Defence of Republic of Serbia, Military Health Department, Veterinary Department, Serbia
Radivoje Anđelković University of Defense, Ministry of Defence of Republic of Serbia, Rectorate, Belgrade, Serbia
Nataša Glamočlija University of Belgrade, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4799-9416
Milica Laudanović University in Belgrade - Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0009-0008-6381-2803
Radmila Mitrović Institute of Meat Hygiene and Technology, Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2912-2784
Milan Ž. Baltić University of Belgrade, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4469-3411

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18485/meattech.2025.66.3.15

Keywords: common carp, Wels catfish, silver carp, adverse health effect, carcinogenic risk

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to assess the potential health risks associated with the consumption of metals accumulated in fish meat of common carp, Wels catfish, and silver carp caught from 2010 to 2021 from the Danube River in Serbia. Therefore, estimation of daily intake rate (EDI), percentage of provisional tolerable weekly intake (% PTWI), target hazard quotient (THQ), hazard index (HI), and target cancer risk (TR) were calculated. Results of health risk assessments showed that the highest values of EDI were found for Hg in common carp, for As, Hg, and Pb in silver carp, while in Wels catfish the highest EDI was detected for Pb and Hg. In all three fish species, the highest % PTWI values were determined for Hg, while % PTWI for As, Cd, and Pb were lower than 5%. HIs higher than 1 were detected in common carp and Wels catfish during 2013 and in Wels catfish during 2010, indicating a potential for adverse non-carcinogenic health effects. In silver carp, HIs were lower than 1. The TR for As from 2010 to 2021 was regarded as acceptable, except in common carp during 2013, when it was defined as an unacceptable carcinogenic risk (higher than 10^-4). The TR for Cr ranged from 10^-6 to 10^-4 in all three fish species, so was regarded as acceptable, while the TR for Pb was indicated as negligible (lower than 10^-6).