Heavy metal concentrations in edible muscle of whitecheek shark, Carcharhinus dussumieri (elasmobranchii, chondrichthyes) from the Persian Gulf: A food safety issue

Milad Adel; Gea Oliveri Conti; Maryam Dadar; Masoud Mahjoub; Chiara Copat; Margherita Ferrante

doi:10.1016/j.fct.2016.09.002

Heavy metal concentrations in edible muscle of whitecheek shark, Carcharhinus dussumieri (elasmobranchii, chondrichthyes) from the Persian Gulf: A food safety issue

Food Chem Toxicol. 2016 Nov:97:135-140. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2016.09.002. Epub 2016 Sep 2.

Authors

Milad Adel¹, Gea Oliveri Conti², Maryam Dadar³, Masoud Mahjoub⁴, Chiara Copat⁵, Margherita Ferrante⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Aquatic Animal Health and Diseases, Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute (IFSRI), Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran.
² Department of Medical Sciences, Surgical and Advanced Technologies "G.F. Ingrassia"- Hygiene and Public Health, Laboratory of Environmental and Food Hygiene (LIAA), University of Catania, Via S. Sofia, 87, 95123 Catania, Italy. Electronic address: olivericonti@unict.it.
³ Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran.
⁴ Department of Aquatic Animal Health and Diseases, Iranian Shrimp Research Center, Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute (IFSRI), Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Bushehr, Iran.
⁵ Department of Medical Sciences, Surgical and Advanced Technologies "G.F. Ingrassia"- Hygiene and Public Health, Laboratory of Environmental and Food Hygiene (LIAA), University of Catania, Via S. Sofia, 87, 95123 Catania, Italy.

PMID: 27593900
DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2016.09.002

Abstract

Together with several health benefits, fish meat could lead to heavy metal intoxication of consumers. In this study, we discuss Zn, Cu, Pb, Hg and Cd concentrations in fillets of forty specimens of Carcharhinus dussumieri, analyzed with atomic adsorption spectroscopy (AAS). The potential human health risks due to consumption of C. dussumieri was assessed by estimating average daily intake (EDI) and target hazard quotient (THQ) of metals. The average concentrations of metals measured in this study were (ppm dry weight): Cu 7.49 ± 0.25; Zn 3.47 ± 0.26; Pb 0.12 ± 0.03; Hg 0.028 ± 0.02; Cd 0.11 ± 0.03. Our results showed that no metal exceeded the EC and FAO limits. Cu and Cd accumulate in muscles with a body length (age)-dependent manner. The exposure daily intake of all toxic metals analyzed was found lower than the PTDI provided by WHO and the THQ resulted lower than 1, suggesting no risk for human health derived from consumption.

Keywords: Carcharhinus dussumieri; Environmental hygiene; Food safety; Heavy metals; Shark; THQ.

MeSH terms

Animals
Food Contamination / analysis*
Food Safety
Heavy Metal Poisoning*
Humans
Metals, Heavy / analysis
Metals, Heavy / pharmacokinetics
Muscles / drug effects
Muscles / metabolism*
Poisoning
Risk Assessment
Sharks
Tissue Distribution

Substances

Metals, Heavy