Assessment of heavy metals concentrations in five marine organisms from Lianyungang in China and the corresponding health risk

Abstract

This paper determined the concentrations of heavy metals (i.e. Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Hg and Pb) in the edible portions of five marine organisms (Larimichthys polyactis, Sphyraenus, Litopenaeus vannamei, Portunus trituberculatus, and Scapharca subcrenata) caught from Gaogong Island in the coast of Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province, between September 2022 and March 2023. Human health risks were evaluated by calculating non-carcinogenic risks (target hazard quotient (THQ), hazard index (HI)) and carcinogenic risk (cancer risk (CR)). The results revealed substantial variations in heavy metal concentrations among different sampling months and marine organisms. Notably, the mean concentrations of Zn (77579.07 μg/kg) and As (10326.77 μg/kg) in Portunus trituberculatu exceeded the Chinese standard limit in September 2022, while the mean concentrations of As exceeded the standard limit in Sphyraenus (1517.47 μg/kg), Portunus trituberculatu (8737.90 μg/kg) and Scapharca subcrenata (5612.25 μg/kg) in October 2022. Importantly, the estimated daily intake (EDI), THQ, HI, and CR values utilized to evaluate potential health risks were within acceptable thresholds for human consumption. In March 2023, HI for Scapharca subcrenata exhibited a value of 1.21 (>1), suggesting a need for vigilance. Furthermore, CR values for As in Larimichthys polyacti, Sphyraenus, Portunus trituberculatus, and Scapharca subcrenata exceeded 10−4 in some months, alongside Cd CR values in some months of Portunus trituberculatus and Scapharca subcrenata. Based on these results, continuous monitoring of heavy metal concentrations in Gaogong Island of Lianyungang is recommended to safeguard the health and well-being of individuals consuming marine organisms from this area.