Potentially toxic trace elements in the muscle of coastal South American fish: Implications for human consumption and health risk assessment

SABRINA IGNACIO,; JONATAN SCHLOTTHAUER; MIRNA SIGRIST; ALEJANDRA V. VOLPEDO; GUSTAVO A. THOMPSON

Marine Pollution Bulletin

Elsevier Ltd

Año: 2024 vol. 202 p. 1 - 15

Micropogonias furnieri and Urophycis brasiliensis are two coastal demersal fish species distributed in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean. Considering that many coastal areas in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean suffer from anthropogenic pressure, the aim of this study was to assess the level of potentially toxic trace elements (Ag, Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Se, Sr, V and Zn) in the muscle of coastal species, and evaluated the human health risk related to the consumption of muscle. Mercury, inorganic As (Asi), V, and Se showed a higher contribution to the total THQ. Considering two possible scenarios, Asi represents 1 % or 5 % of the total As, the total THQ was 1; 5 % Asi). Consequently these results show the importance of quantifying As species in muscle to generate more reliable risk estimates for human health.