Title: A perspective on the potential health risks from PCBs and heavy metals contamination of M. merluccius from Mediterranean Sea

Authors: Sara Spognardi; Ilenia Bravo; Riccardo Rea; Lucio Cappelli; Patrizia Papetti

Addresses: Department of Business Studies, University of Roma Tre, Via Ostiense, 159, 00154 Rome, Italy ' Laboratorio di Analisi Merceologiche e Territoriali (LAMeT), Department of Economics and Law, University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, Via Sant'Angelo, Località Folcara, 03043 Cassino, Frosinone, Italy ' Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5, 00185 Roma, Italy ' Laboratorio di Analisi Merceologiche e Territoriali (LAMeT), Department of Economics and Law, University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, Via Sant'Angelo, Località Folcara, 03043 Cassino, Frosinone, Italy ' Laboratorio di Analisi Merceologiche e Territoriali (LAMeT), Department of Economics and Law, University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, Via Sant'Angelo, Località Folcara, 03043 Cassino, Frosinone, Italy

Abstract: In this study, we determined the concentration of six marker PCBS congeners and four trace elements, all having a maximum tolerable level of intake set by EU regulation, in samples of European hake taken from the Mediterranean Sea. The results showed that the contaminant levels were below the recommended international limits in all samples, although with higher PCBs concentrations in samples from Ligurian and Adriatic Sea. The relationships between the contaminants and the sampling sites were investigated using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's HSD post-hoc tests. Statistical analysis revealed significant interactions especially between the PCBs, the sum of PCBs and the sites. To evaluate the potential health risk from consumption, we calculated the estimated daily intake (EDI) for adults, finding that total health risk index (HRI) value was low (< 1) in the case of chronic consumptions, despite the non-negligible mercury concentration.

Keywords: bioaccumulation; polychlorinated biphenyls; PCBs; heavy metals; European hake; Merluccius merluccius; Mediterranean Sea.

DOI: 10.1504/IJFSNPH.2021.113404

International Journal of Food Safety, Nutrition and Public Health, 2021 Vol.6 No.2, pp.85 - 103

Received: 28 Jul 2018
Accepted: 02 May 2019
Published online: 03 Mar 2021 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article