Heavy Metals Contamination in Shellfish: Benefit-Risk Evaluation in Central Italy.

Francesca Barchiesi,Raffaella Branciari,Rossana Roila,Mario Latini,Giampiero Scortichini,David Ranucci,Elena Rocchegiani,Giuseppe Lediani,Giovanni Filippini,Arianna Piersanti

doi:10.3390/foods9111720

Abstract

Seafood is a source of nutrients in human diet but also of environmental contaminants and its consumption could pose a risk to consumers’ health. A survey regarding the exposure to cadmium, lead and mercury through the consumption of bivalve mollusks, gastropods and sea urchins collected on Italian coasts was carried out among central Italian population over a period of three years. A limited number of samples exceeds the threshold set by legislation (6 samples) and the average level of contamination was low in all the species considered. The contribution Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) was higher for cadmium (9.17%) than lead (1.44%) and mercury (0.20%). The benefit-risk evaluation suggests that the bivalve mollusks and sea urchins consumption (Benefit Risk Quotient < 1) could be increased without health detrimental effects.

Highlights

Heavy metals are known for adverse toxicological effects in humans and food products are considered to be their main source of exposure for general population [1,2,3,4]
Maximum limits in various fish and shellfish species are set for these contaminants in different countries [15,16,17,18] and, monitoring their levels in seafood is of utmost importance [11]
For Pb the concentration was always under the maximum limits set by EU Regulation (MRL= 1.5 mg/kg) [16], for Hg 1 sample (1 sea urchin in 2017) exceeds the maximum (MRL= 0.50 mg/kg) and for Cd 5 samples (1 mussel in 2017 and 4 gastropods in 2018)

Summary

Introduction

Heavy metals are known for adverse toxicological effects in humans and food products are considered to be their main source of exposure for general population [1,2,3,4]. Chronic cadmium (Cd) intake is responsible for different organ systems toxicity with reproductive and fertility impairments, skeletal damage, urinary and cardiovascular disorders, central and peripheral nervous deficiency, kidney disease and cancer [5,6,7]. Lead (Pb) is responsible for negative effects on hematopoietic, renal, cardiovascular, reproductive and skeletal systems [3,9,10]. Fish and seafood are regarded as one of the main food sources of these three contaminants as they live in marine environment that could be contaminated by these ubiquitous molecules, which are prone to high distribution in spite of their anthropic or natural origin [11], and they can accumulate. Maximum limits in various fish and shellfish species are set for these contaminants in different countries [15,16,17,18] and, monitoring their levels in seafood is of utmost importance [11]

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