Assessment of heavy metal toxicity in fish and its impact on human health: A review

Abstract

The most harmful aspect of water pollution is the presence of heavy metals, which are substances that cannot be removed from the body by metabolic processes and have the capacity to bioaccumulate and amplify. These heavy metals have contaminated the aquatic system as a result of urbanization and industrialization, which is also having an impact on the diversity and ecosystem balance of aquatic species. As, Cr, Pb, Hg, and Cd are the most common heavy metals that have a systemic toxicant effect on human health. Heavy metals mainly enter the fish body through gills, body surface and digestive tract during ingestion of metal accumulated food materials. Heavy metal toxicity can alter individual development rates, physiological processes, mortality, and reproduction in fish. Fish consumption can cause heavy metal toxicity, which can lead to impaired energy levels, damage to the brain and central nervous system, as well as harm to the blood, lungs, kidneys, bones, liver, and other important organs. When eating metal-accumulated food materials, fish's gills, body surface, and digestive tract are the main entry points for heavy metals into the fish's body. Fish development rates, physiological functions, mortality, and reproduction can all be affected by heavy metal toxicity. Fish consumption can cause heavy metal toxicity, which can lead to impaired energy levels, damage to the brain and central nervous system, as well as harm to the blood, lungs, kidneys, bones, liver, and other important organs. The objective of this review is to evaluate the potential causes of heavy metal pollution in aquatic environments, as well as the effects of these pollutants on fish, and human health.