Heavy metals (As, Hg and V) and stable isotope ratios (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) in fish from Yellow River Estuary, China

The Yellow River Estuary is a significant fishery, but at present there are few studies about the concentrations of arsenic (As), mercury (Hg) and vanadium (V) in fish from this area, which might cause potential health risk to fish consumers. The aim of this study was to research on the accumulation and potential sources of heavy metals in the fish of the Yellow River Estuary. Arsenic, Hg, V and stable isotope ratios (δ¹⁵N and δ¹³C) in 11 species of 129 fish were analyzed. Results showed that the concentrations of As and Hg were all lower than the guideline levels established by international organizations and legal limits by several countries. The mean concentrations of V in samples in this study were significantly higher than the results of previous studies on other regions. Arsenic, Hg and V significantly differed across species (P < 0.05), which might be due to the different foraging habitats and dietary habits of the studied fish. Values of δ¹⁵N and δ¹³C in fish from the study area ranged from 5.1‰ to 14.6‰ and from − 27.6‰ to − 14.5‰, indicating a wide range of trophic positions and energy sources. There was evidence of bioaccumulation of Hg, which could be explained by the positive correlation between Hg concentrations and δ¹⁵N in fish. Through estimation of daily intake of inorganic As (iAs), Hg and V via fish consumption, the heavy metal contamination level of fish samples fell in an acceptable range, indicating no potentially hazardous for human health.