FISH kept alive in polluted water are not harmful to humans if they are eaten after thorough cooking, an Urban Council study has found.
The three-month study looked only at fish - as opposed to prawns or shellfish - and examined them for bacterial content as well as arsenic, chromium, mercury, cadmium and lead.
Dr Leung Ping-cheung, vice-chairman of the council's public health select committee headed the study, and said that all 35 samples were well within World Health Organisation safety levels for metal content.
Only one sample contained bacteria, but that was only in a part of the fish not normally consumed, or consumed in small amounts.
Concern has grown recently over the use of water from typhoon shelters and Victoria Harbour to store fish in restaurants, as the water is heavily polluted.
But Dr Leung said: ''Our results show that the water may be bad, but the fish meat is edible. As long as the fish were alive and properly cooked, there shouldn't be any worry about their safety.'' The Environmental Protection Department declined to comment on the findings.
The Urban Council study looked at 35 samples - 10 from a fish farm in Tolo Harbour, which was the control group, and 25 from three restaurants in Eastern District, a market and a fishmonger.