Human health risk from exposure to metals through fish and shellfish ingestion in Saudi Arabia

In this study, human exposure and risks of metals through fish ingestion were predicted. Concentrations of 10 metals (Cd, As, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn) in 17 commonly eaten fish species in Saudi Arabia were characterized. Using the fish ingestion patterns, chronic daily intakes of metals among the Saudi and expatriate populations were predicted to be in the ranges of 8.89 × 10⁻⁰⁶–1.08 × 10⁻⁰² and 6.59 × 10⁻⁰⁶–7.97 × 10⁻⁰³ mg/kg/day, respectively. The average cancer risks from inorganic arsenic were 2.76 × 10⁻⁰⁵ and 2.09 × 10⁻⁰⁵ for Saudi and expatriate, and the ranges were 1.61 × 10⁻⁰⁹–1.58 × 10⁻⁰³ and 2.64 × 10⁻⁰⁹–1.27 × 10⁻⁰³, respectively. The predicted risks were much lower than the previously reported risks. There were 47.4% and 42.4% chances that cancer risks would be higher than 1.0 × 10⁻⁰⁵ (10 per million) among Saudi and expatriate, respectively. The average cumulative hazard index (HI) for Saudi and expatriate were 0.324 and 0.239 with the ranges of 0.0142–7.26 and 0.017–6.43, respectively. Approximately 3.06% and 1.56% cases among Saudi and expatriate had HI greater than unity, indicating possible health concern, respectively. Through comprehensive understanding of exposure and risks, strategies can be adopted to protect human health.