Food wastes as fish feeds for polyculture of low-trophic-level fish: bioaccumulation and health risk assessments of heavy metals in the cultured fish

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2016-04, Vol.23 (8), p.7195-7203
• Main Authors: Cheng, Zhang, Lam, Cheung-Lung, Mo, Wing-Yin, Nie, Xiang-Ping, Choi, Wai-Ming, Man, Yu-Bon, Wong, Ming-Hung
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal Feed - analysis; Animals; Aquatic Pollution; Arsenic; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Bioaccumulation; Biological Waste as Resource; Cadmium; Carcinogens; Carp; Carps - growth & development; Carps - metabolism; Cereals; Climate change; Consumption; Ctenopharyngodon idella; Detritus; Detritus feeders; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Feeds; Fish; Fish feeds; Fish ponds; Fisheries; Food Chain; Food Contamination - analysis; Food waste; Health risk assessment; Health risks; Heavy metals; Herbivores; Hong Kong; Humans; Landfill; Meat products; Metal concentrations; Metals, Heavy - analysis; Metals, Heavy - metabolism; Nutritional Status; Organic farming; Polyculture; Ponds; Ponds - analysis; Population density; Proteins; Recycling; Risk Assessment; Seafood - analysis; Solid Waste - analysis; Studies; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - metabolism; Water Pollution Control; with a Focus on Food Waste
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-6484-9

The major purpose of this study was to use different types of food wastes which serve as the major sources of protein to replace the fish meal used in fish feeds to produce quality fish. Two types of food waste-based feed pellets FW A (with cereals) and FW B (with cereals and meat products) and the commercial feed Jinfeng® were used to culture fingerlings of three low-trophic-level fish species: bighead carp, grass carp, and mud carp (in the ratio of 1:3:1) for 1 year period in the Sha Tau Kok Organic Farm in Hong Kong. Heavy metal concentrations in all of the fish species fed with food waste pellets and commercial pellets in Sha Tau Kok fish ponds were all below the local and international maximum permissible levels in food. Health risk assessments indicated that human consumption of the fish fed with food waste feed pellets was safe for the Hong Kong residents. The present results revealed that recycling of food waste for cultivating low-trophic-level fish (mainly herbivores and detritus feeders) is feasible, and at the same time will ease the disposal pressure of food waste, a common problem of densely populated cities like Hong Kong.