Heavy metals risk assessment in Salmo letnica from Lake Ohrid in Albania

The Ohrid trout (Salmo letnica) is an endemic species of trout found only in Lake Ohrid, in the Balkan republics of North Macedonia and Albania, where it is a species of significant economic and nutritional interest. Considering the importance of chemical risk assessment in fish for human consumption set out by European and international legislation and the risk of extinction of the Ohrid trout, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the safety of Ohrid trout flesh for human consumption by determining the heavy metal concentration in different organs through atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). Heavy metal concentrations differed significantly in different organs (P < 0.001). The mean and range of Pb and Cr concentrations in muscle were lower than the permissible limits recommended for human consumption according to the European Union (EU), as well as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and World Health Organization, whereas the mean concentration and range of Cd in muscle tissue were above the critical limits for human consumption set by the EU and FAO, revealing inspection-related problems. Accordingly, S. letnica is not completely safe for human consumption. Therefore, the long-term assessment of heavy metal concentrations in Ohrid trout from Lake Ohrid is an important safety measure for fish consumers and will help assess the status of exploitation of this biological resource.