Abstract
Simple SummaryHeavy metals can represent a serious threat to marine and freshwater fauna through exposure, bioaccumulation and biomagnification processes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of non-essential and essential elements in freshwater crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) edible tissues to establish the healthiness of this product and to evaluate the pollution status of the sampling sites from Campania region (Italy). The results suggest that crayfish were safe for human consumption and indicated mild contamination of heavy metals of the sampling areas. The aim of this study was to carry out a quali-quantitative analysis of the presence of non-essential and essential trace elements in freshwater crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) edible tissues to establish the healthiness of this product and to evaluate the pollution status of the sampling sites included in the present study. P. clarkii is one of the most common species of freshwater crustaceans in Italy, regularly consumed by local people. Moreover, the crayfish, due to its trophic position and diet, can be considered as an excellent bioindicator of the health status of the ecosystem. We collected sixty crayfish samples from two different sites in Campania (Italy): Villa Literno and Sessa Aurunca. Concentrations of trace elements were determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Our data showed low concentrations of Cd, Hg and Pb, with values below the European Commission MRL (Commission Regulation (EC) 1881/2006). We suggest that data obtained from this study showed that crayfish collected from Villa Literno and Sessa Aurunca were safe for human consumption. Furthermore, the results of this research indicated mild contamination of heavy metals of the sampling sites, indicating a good health status of the area’s aquatic ecosystem.
Highlights
Trace elements are classified by the scientific community as non-essential and essential.Non-essential trace elements have no biological role in animal organisms and represent a serious threat to aquatic fauna
We focused on the red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii (Girard, 1852), which is common in the sampling areas we included in the study and usually consumed by local people
In the Hep, Cd was found at a mean concentration of 0.020 and 0.018 μg g−1; Pb was found at a mean concentration of 0.015 and 0.012 μg g−1 in Villa Literno (ViL site) and Sessa
Summary
Trace elements are classified by the scientific community as non-essential and essential.Non-essential trace elements have no biological role in animal organisms and represent a serious threat to aquatic fauna. We focused our attention on geographic areas of the Campania region (Italy) which are well known to be characterized by high pollution of soil, fresh, salty water and groundwater. These sites represent ex-industrial areas and are located nearby illegal waste dumps [21]. Since the 1980s Naples and Caserta have been exploited as illegal landfills of toxic waste Such operations and the accumulation of toxic products have had a serious impact on the ecosystem of the coast and the hinterland, influencing health and future development of the local fauna and human population [22]. We sought to identify sources of pollution in the study area, to assess public health risk linked to consumption of crayfishes and to improve the current knowledge about the use of P. clarkii as a bioindicator of heavy metal pollution in freshwater ecosystems
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