Toxic trace elements in fish and seafood from North African coasts: A systematic review and meta-analysis of contamination levels and health risk assessment.

Seafood products contaminated with toxic trace elements can pose serious health risks to consumers. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the pooled levels of five toxic trace elements lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), chromium (Cr), and arsenic (As) in the edible muscle of fish and other seafood from North African coasts and to evaluate the associated health risks. A systematic search of electronic databases was conducted to identify relevant studies published between 1986 and 2025. A random-effects model was applied to pool the concentrations of each toxic trace element using the meta package in R software. Forty-five studies met the inclusion criteria. The pooled mean concentrations (mg/kg wet weight) in marine foods from North African Coasts were as follows: As (3.81), Cr (1.54), Pb (1.06), Hg (0.29), and Cd (0.24). Subgroup analyses revealed substantial variability in contamination levels across countries, seafood categories, and fishing zones. Non-carcinogenic risk assessment revealed that the target hazard quotient (THQ) values for Cd and Hg in marine foods indicated potential health concerns among populations from Egypt and Tunisia. These results highlight the need for targeted and continuous monitoring of marine waters and sediments prone to the bioaccumulation of toxic elements to ensure that fishery products remain safe for consumption.