Pakistan Journal of Nutrition1680-51941994-7984Asian Network for Scientific Information10.3923/pjn.2018.647.653AgwuK.K. OkoyeC.M.I. OkejiM.C. CliffordE.O. 1220181712Background and Objective: Heavy metals refer to metallic chemical elements that have a relatively high density (4 g cm3) that is greater than that of water. The presence or absence of some heavy metals is known to cause various diseases in humans. This study aimed to measure the concentrations of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni) and zinc (Zn) in fish products consumed in Southeast Nigeria using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). Methodology: The fish samples were purchased from local markets and included imported fish from marine water sources and fish from freshwater rivers and ponds. The samples were washed, de-scaled (where applicable) and oven-dried separately at 105°C for 10 h. A portion (2.0 g) of each of the dried homogenised samples was digested in a digestion flask with 20 mL of a mixture containing 650 mL of concentrated HNO3, 80 mL of perchloric acid (HClO4) and 20 mL of concentrated H2SO4. The heavy metal analysis was conducted using a Varian AA240 atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Results: The concentrations of the heavy metals between the freshwater and marine fish samples did not follow a regular pattern. All the fish products had mean heavy metal concentrations below the permissible limits. The highest concentrations of chromium and mercury were 114.377 and 3.718 mg kg1, respectively. Mercury had a target hazard quotient>1.0. Conclusion: Consuming the sampled fish products has the potential to cause adverse health impacts if not controlled.]]>Rashed, M.N.,2001272733Hamidalddin, S.H.Q. and J.H. AlZahrani,20167301311Franca, S., C. Vinagre, I. Cacador and H.N. Cabral,2005509981003Grant, R.,1987Iwegbue, C.M.A., S.O. Nwozo, E.K. Ossai and G.E. Nwajei,20083220223Abduljaleel, S.A. and M. Shuhaimi-Othman,201111448453Abduljaleel, S.A., M. Shuhaimi-Othman and A. Babji,20115301308Karadede-Akin, H. and E. Unlu,2007131323337Sivaperumal, P., T.V. Sankar and P.G.V. Nair,2007102612620Kaplan, O., N.C. Yildirim, N. Yildirim and M. Cimen,20116228232Sultana, R. and D.P. Rao,1998Mugil cephalus (L.), from harbour waters of Visakhapatnam, India.]]>60949955Castro-Gonzaleza, M.I. and M. Mendez-Armenta,200826263271Adrian, W.J.,197398213216APHA.,199520th Edn.,EPA.,20042004ATSDR.,20052005Wang, X., T. Sato, B. Xing and S. Tao,20053502837Roychowdhury, T., H. Tokunaga and M. Ando,20033081535European Commission,2011L11136Gorur, F.K., R. Keser, N. Akcay and S. Dizman,201287356361Schmitt, C.J. and W.G. Brumbaugh, 199019731747Robertson, S.M., L.R. Gamble and T.C. Maurer,19891989Akan, J.C., S. Mohmoud, B.S. Yikala and V.O. Ogugbuaja,20123727736NAA-NRC.,19748th Edn.,O'Brien, T.J., S. Ceryak and S.R. Patierno, 2003533336Health-Canada,20072007De Boeck, M., M. Kirsch-Volders and D. Lison,2003533135152Usero, J., C. Izquierdo, J. Morillo and I. Gracia,2004Solea vulgaris, Anguilla anguilla and Liza aurata) from salt marshes on the Southern atlantic coast of Spain.]]>29949956Zhuang, P., M.B. McBride, H. Xia, N. Li and Z. Li,200940715511561WHO.,19962nd Edn.,Turkmen, M. and C. Ciminli,2007103670675Gerber, G.B., A. Leonard and P. Hantson,2002422534Khandaker, M.U., K. Asaduzzaman, S.M. Nawi, A.R. Usman and Y.M. Amin et al.,2015Rastrelliger kanagurta) from the straits of Malacca.]]>2015Tuzen, M.,20094717851790Mendil, D., O.F. Unal, M. Tuzen and M. Soylak,20104813831392FAO. and WHO.,19842nd Edn.,pp: 1-8pp: 1-8