Bioaccumulation of Trace Metals and Consumer Health Risk Evaluation in Farmed Acipenser baerii Caviar From Iran

Sturgeons are particularly vulnerable to the bioaccumulation of trace elements due to their longevity, benthic habits, and slow metabolic turnover. As aquaculture has become the primary global source of caviar, updated information on essential and toxic elements in farmed sturgeon products is needed to assess food safety. Twelve Acipenser baerii at reproductive stage 4 were sampled from a commercial farm in Tehran Province. Caviar was digested using acid-assisted mineralization, and essential (Zn, Cu, Fe, Se) and toxic (Cd, Pb, Cr, As, Hg) elements were quantified. Zinc was the most abundant element (31.0-35.9 mg/kg), while iron (3.0-4.9 mg/kg), copper (0.9-1.8 mg/kg), and selenium (0.38-0.64 mg/kg) fell within expected physiological ranges for farmed sturgeons. Concentrations of toxic elements were consistently low, Cd (0.01-0.07 mg/kg), Pb (0.12-0.20 mg/kg), As (0.07-0.15 mg/kg), Cr (0.14-0.31 mg/kg), and Hg (0.01-0.05 mg/kg), and remained below international safety thresholds. Overall, the trace-element profile of farmed A. baerii caviar indicates low contaminant levels and compliance with current food-safety standards. These results provide updated baseline information for Iranian sturgeon aquaculture and support the safety of caviar produced under controlled farming conditions.