Heavy metal enrichment and health risk assessment of karst cave fish in Libo, Guizhou, China

Abstract

Limited data are available about the accumulation of heavy metals in cave fish. In current study, eight species of fish in six caves were selected and the heavy metal contents of Cr, As, Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni, and Hg. The results showed the average concentration of these metals in the order Zn > Cu > Cr > Ni > Cd > As > Pb > Hg. The bio-concentration factors of Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb were greater than 5000. The outcome of the health risk assessment suggests that consumption of the viscera or gills of cave fish from the karst caves in Libo can pose considerable health risks.

Keywords

• Heavy metals
• Cave fish
• Human health risk
• Biological amplification
• China
• Enrichment