Background and purpose: There is an increasing interest towards consumption of aquatic products, therefore, the health of aqua ecosystems is highly important. Heavy metal pollution in fish is a global concern due to its bioaccumulation potential, toxicity and persistence in food chain. This study investigated the concentration of heavy metals (cadmium, lead, chromium, copper, and zinc) in the gill, liver, and muscle tissue of Cyprinus carpio, Capoeta trutta, and Ctenopharyngodon idella in Gharasou River, Kermanshah province, Iran.

Materials and methods: Sampling was done in Gharasou River and the gill, liver, and muscle tissues were prepared. The concentrations of heavy metals were measured using an ICP.

Results: The average concentrations of Cd, Pb, Cr, Cu, and Zn in the muscle tissue of Cyprinus carpio and Capoeta trutta were 0.001 and 0.001, 0.016 and 0.008, 0.14 and 0.14, 0.53 and 0.33, and 0.51 and 0.51 µg/g wet weight, respectively. The metals with highest and lowest concentrations were zinc and cadmium that were found in different tissues of the fishes, respectively. The accumulation of metals in the tissues of liver and gills was found to be higher than that in the muscles. Moreover, the Hazard Quotients (HQ) index of all heavy metals was than 1.

Conclusion: The concentrations of heavy metals were lower than the levels permitted by World Health Organization, hence, the fish species studied are considered healthy to use.