Correlation of heavy metals in the tissues of typical organisms (i.e., fishes and crabs) and those in their
living environments (i.e., surface water, bottom water, and sediment) in Yangtze River Estuary has been
qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed. Metal levels followed the trend: sediments > Eriocheir
sinensis > Eriocheir leptognathus > benthic fish > pelagic fish > bottom water > . Tissues in
fishes and crabs of different species and sizes had diverse metal bioaccumulation characteristics, which
was significantly affected by environment factors and their living habits. Metal levels in legs of crabs, and
heads and skins of fishes showed significant correlations with those in their living environments. Collichthys lucidus is an effective bioindicator for assessing metal levels in water. No significant health risk was
identified by the estimated daily intake and target hazard quotients analyses