The consumption of fish worldwide has increased speedily in recent years particularly with the awareness of its nutritional and therapeutic benefits. In addition to being important source of protein, fish are enriched with essential minerals, vitamins, and unsaturated fatty acids. However, fish normally accumulate heavy elements from the environment which they inhabit which makes them a good indicator of heavy element contamination.





This study evaluates heavy elements' levels (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) in commercially important grey mullet (Mugil cephalus) caught from Black Sea (Bulgaria) and Aegean Sea (Greece). The samples of edible part of fish species were randomly collected, processed, and analyzed for toxic and essential elements using ICP-OES. Results revealed that studied microelements concentrations varied among the fish species. Human health risk is evaluated using different indexes. Estimated weekly intake (EWI) for the elements do not exceeded the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) for all studied fish species. The target hazard quotients (THQ) of all elements were below 1, showing an absence of health hazard for the population consuming these fish species.  Also, target risk (TR) of Ni and Pb indicated that consumption over a long period of time may not result in a carcinogenic effect. Additionally, the results from this study show that consumption of the edible muscle tissues of those two fish species from both areas do not pose a risk for human consumption