Bioaccumulation of Trace Metals in Golden Rabbit fish Siganus guttatus, Collected in Selected Seagrass Meadows of Northern Mindanao, Philippines

Bioaccumulation of Trace Metals in Golden Rabbit fish Siganus guttatus, Collected in Selected Seagrass Meadows of Northern Mindanao, Philippines

The high-value Golden Rabbit fish (Siganus guttatus) was used to assess the current levels of trace metals zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), aluminium (Al) and cadmium (Cd) in 3 different seagrass meadows. The level of trace metals detected in the flesh of S. guttatus was at in the order of Al (18.360 mg/kg) >Zn (15.783 mg/kg) >Cu (1.0046 mg/kg) >Cd (0.100 mg/kg). Highest Al concentration was found in S. guttatus samples from Rizal, Zamboanga del Norte, as well as the toxic Cd. Human risk assessment based on the average Filipino consumption, showed that it is still safe to consume the fish S. guttatus on a daily basis. In general, Al was the most interactive element while Cd was the least. Regular monitoring of trace metals in these important seagrass meadows is recommended to avoid human health risk and ecological toxicity that may arise.