ICABGEH-22 , VI. International Congress on Domestic Animal Breeding Genetics and Husbandry, Samsun, Turkey, 3 - 05 October 2022, pp.225-226
Sea bream is one of the main cultured fish, and Turkey is one of the leading producers of this species.
As the consumption of cultured fish is increasing day by day, it is important for public health to
evaluate the risk of metal transmission to humans through consumption. In this study, Cd, Pb, and Hg
concentrations in seabream from three main aquaculture facilities in the Aegean Sea were studied, and
potential health risks were determined. The mean concentrations of Cd, Pb, and Hg (mg/kg) were
0.03±0.07, 0.06±0.08, 0.02±0.01, respectively. Even though these mean values were below the
permitted levels, 7.14% of the samples contained Cd above the permitted limits. The individual and
combined target hazard ratios (THQ and TTHQ) of the elements were well below 1, indicating no
potential public health risk to the average consumer. All estimated weekly intake (EWI) values
remained well below the established Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intakes (PTWI). It has been
concluded that seabream, cultured in the Aegean Sea by Turkey, is safe for the average consumer in
terms of Cd, Pb, and Hg intake