Abstract
In tropical countries, where human consumption of insects is a traditional practice, insects are mainly harvested in the natural environment. These insects are thus exposed to all forms of pollution, particularly metallic pollutants. However, an inventory of scientific knowledge on the risks related to the consumption of insects is missing in the international scientific literature. It is therefore essential to conduct research on the trace metals (TMEs) contained in insects caught in the wild. The objective of this work is to evaluate the level of accumulation of TMEs by insect species commonly consumed in Togo to estimate the health risk related to insect consumption. To do this, 12 species of insects consumed in their adult stage were collected across the whole territory of Togo. These samples were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry to determine TMEs. It appears that traces of different metallic elements exist in the samples at variable rates. The aquatic species Cybister tripunctatus is the most contaminated, with levels of cadmium (0.504 mg/kg) and lead (0.501 mg/kg) at the limit of edibility threshold. The concentrations of all TMEs in insects during this study are within acceptable limits for human consumption. The risk of human contamination with TMEs through insect consumption is therefore low.
Highlights
Many peoples have introduced insect consumption into their customs
In Europe and more generally in the West, still very marginalized, entomophagy tends to spread with the emergence in various countries of restaurants specializing in insect-based menus, which is associated with the industrial production of edible insects [4,5,6]
The presence of trace metals (TMEs) estimate the health risk of insect consumption for the consuming pop in insects used for human consumption deserves further research. It is within this framework that this study aims to evaluate the level of accumulation of TMEs by insect species commonly consumed in Togo in order to estimate the health risk of insect
Summary
Many peoples have introduced insect consumption into their customs. about2.5 billion people in tropical countries (Asia, Africa and Latin America) eat insects daily [1,2]for their multiple benefits. In Togo, as elsewhere in the tropics, insects intended for human consumption are collected in the wild in various environments [9]. These environments are likely to be polluted by the discharge of human household and industrial waste and the use of pesticides. The latter, which may be rich in organic matter and fertilizing elements, contains undesirable chemical elements, especially metallic pollutants [10].
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