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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Mar. Sci.
Sec. Marine Pollution
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmars.2025.1557963
This article is part of the Research Topic Impact of Heavy Metal on Aquatic Life and Human Health View all 9 articles
Heavy metal alarm of marine fish consumption surrounding Qiongzhou Strait, the South China Sea
Provisionally accepted- 1 Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
- 2 Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province, China
Heavy metal pollution presents a significant concern in marine ecosystems, posing a serious threat. Monitoring the levels of heavy metals in marine fish is crucial for safeguarding human health. This study specifically investigates the bioaccumulation of eight elements (arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), selenium (Se), and zinc (Zn)) in marine fish in the Qiongzhou Strait in the South China Sea. Zn emerged as the predominant heavy metal, with an average concentration of 39.5 μg/g. Most marine fish showed a low risk of heavy metal intake, Pampus argenteus exhibited the lowest risk at 10 -6 . Moreover, caution is advised regarding the consumption of Uroconger lepturus due to its elevated risk of As bioaccumulation, with levels reaching 70.1 μg/g, contributing significantly to the total target hazard quotient at 94. 3% (3.64). This study provides valuable recommendations for coastal environmental protection and the prevention of ecological incidents.
Keywords: heavy metal, marine fish, health risk, Qiongzhou strait, South China Sea
Received: 09 Jan 2025; Accepted: 17 Mar 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhang, Ye, Huang, Wang and Zhang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Wei Zhang, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510006, Guangdong Province, China
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