Despitethefishingpressureoncommonkilka(Clupeonellacultriventriscaspia)andtheimportanceoftheCaspianSea,thereare littledataontraceelementlevelsinthose.Therefore,theconcentrationsof27traceelementsweremeasuredinwater(n=15)and C.cultriventris (n=1050) collected from the southern Caspian Sea. The concentrations of Cd, Hg, and Zn in the water exceeded permissible limits and posed potential ecological risks to the aquatic biota, especially in the southeastern region of the Caspian Sea.TheestimateddailyintakesofAs,Cd,Co,Hg,Mn,Pb,Sb,andVfromtheconsumptionofC.cultriventriswerehigherthan the acceptable daily intake recommended by the JECFA and USEPA. However, the target hazard quotients and hazard index valueswerelesserthanone.ItappearsthatC.cultriventrisprovidesasmallamountofessentialelementnutritionforconsumers. In conclusion, this study revealed that consumers are exposed to As, Co, Hg, Mn, Mo, Sb, and, V through the consumption of C. cultriventris. Also, the concentrations of Cd, Hg, and Zn in water showed significant ecological risk.
