Human health risk assessment of toxic heavy metal and metalloid intake via consumption of red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) from rice-crayfish co-culture fields in China

Concentrations, sources and health risk of bisphenols in red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) from South-Eastern China

Bisphenol analogs (BPs) are extensively employed in commercial and industrial products and they have been found in a variety of environmental matrices and human samples. The red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) has been a trendy food in China in recent decades. However, the levels of BPs in Chinese crayfish and the associated hazards of human exposure remain unknown. Thus, in this study, the levels of eight BPs in crayfish gathered from five major provinces engaged in crayfish within the Yangtze River Basin were analyzed. Additionally, the health risks for humans by ingesting crayfish were calculated. BPs were frequently detected in crayfish tissues, indicating the wide occurrence of these chemicals. In comparison to other substitutions, BPA remains the dominant bisphenol analog. Most of the BPs were observed to accumulate in the hepatopancreas compared to the muscle, so consuming the hepatopancreas of crayfish is not recommended. With the exception of BPS, the Estimated Daily Intakes (EDIs) of the remaining BPs exceeded the Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) specified by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) by a factor of 1.75-69.0. The mean hazard index (HI) values exceeded 1 for both hepatopancreas and muscle in all provinces, and the mean HI values for hepatopancreas were significantly higher than those for muscle, indicating potential health risks for local consumers.

Review of the Terminology, Approaches, and Formulations Used in the Guidelines on Quantitative Risk Assessment of Chemical Hazards in Food

This paper reviews the published terminology, mathematical models, and the possible approaches used to characterise the risk of foodborne chemical hazards, particularly pesticides, metals, mycotoxins, acrylamide, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The results confirmed the wide variability of the nomenclature used, e.g., 28 different ways of referencing exposure, 13 of cancer risk, or 9 of slope factor. On the other hand, a total of 16 equations were identified to formulate all the risk characterisation parameters of interest. Therefore, the present study proposes a terminology and formulation for some risk characterisation parameters based on the guidelines of international organisations and the literature review. The mathematical model used for non-genotoxic hazards is a ratio in all cases. However, the authors used the probability of cancer or different ratios, such as the margin of exposure (MOE) for genotoxic hazards. For each effect studied per hazard, the non-genotoxic effect was mostly studied in pesticides (79.73%), the genotoxic effect was mostly studied in PAHs (71.15%), and both effects were mainly studied in metals (59.4%). The authors of the works reviewed generally opted for a deterministic approach, although most of those who assessed the risk for mycotoxins or the ratio and risk for acrylamide used the probabilistic approach.

Ecological Toxicity of Cyantraniliprole against Procambarus clarkii: Histopathology, Oxidative Stress, and Intestinal Microbiota

Cyantraniliprole is a novel insecticide recently introduced for rice pest control that may cause potential threats to the red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) in rice-crayfish coculture systems. In this study, we investigated the acute toxicity of cyantraniliprole against P. clarkii with a LC50 value of 149.77 mg/L (96 h), first. Some abnormal behaviors of P. clarkii treated with 125 mg/L cyantraniliprole, including incunabular hyperexcitability, imbalance, inactivity, and increased excretion were observed. Moreover, it was observed that exposure to 5 mg/L cyantraniliprole for 14 days resulted in histopathological alterations in abdominal muscle, gills, hepatopancreas, and intestines. Furthermore, exposure to 0.05 and 5 mg/L cyantraniliprole induced increased activities of several oxidative stress-related enzymes, which was verified by the upregulation of related genes. Additionally, dysregulation of the intestinal microbiota was determined via 16S rRNA sequencing. These results will provide the basis for the utilization of cyantraniliprole in the fields of rice-crayfish integrated system.

Exposure and Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metal in Crayfish from the Middle and Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River

Red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkia) is an exposed species to heavy metals due to their lifestyle of direct contact with sediments. Based on the complete crayfish industry, we focus on the presence of heavy metals in crayfish from different circulation links, which provides a new idea for the investigation of heavy metals in food. To analyze the exposure levels of heavy metals in crayfish during aquaculture and circulation, the five elements (Cd, Pb, Hg, Cr, Cu) in crayfish from 126 sampling sites were investigated. Cultured environmental samples were collected for Spearman correlation analysis. Monte Carlo simulation was used to analyze the uncertain health risks of heavy metals in crayfish. The results indicated that the average heavy metal concentrations in crayfish were all below the limit threshold values. The hepatopancreas was the main target organ for heavy metal accumulation (Cd: 0.3132 mg/kg; Pb: 0.0258 mg/kg; Hg: 0.0072 mg/kg; Cr: 0.1720 mg/kg; Cu: 10.6816 mg/kg). The positive correlation of heavy metal content between crayfish and sediments was not significant under the crayfish-rice coculture model. The 95th HI values for adults and children ranged from 0.022 to 0.042 and 0.071 to 0.137, well below 1, indicating that heavy metals do not pose a noncarcinogenic risk to humans. The potential carcinogenic risk of Cd and Cr in crayfish should be taken seriously, as the 95th CR values for children have reached 4.299 × 10-5 and 6.509 × 10-5, respectively.

The Accumulation of Toxic Elements (Pb, Hg, Cd, As, and Cu) in Red Swamp Crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) in Qianjiang and the Associated Risks to Human Health

Due to rapidly expanding crayfish consumption worldwide, the food safety of red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) is of great concern. China is the largest consumer and producer of crayfish globally. As of yet, it is unknown whether the main crayfish production cities in China are within safe levels of toxic heavy metals and metalloids. For 16 consecutive years, Qianjiang city ranked first in China in processing export volumes of red swamp crayfish. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the enrichment levels and associated health risks of the species in Qianjiang. In our research, samples of four crayfish tissues, including the head, hepatopancreas, gills, and muscles, were collected from 38 sampling sites distributed in Qianjiang to evaluate the concentration levels of five heavy metals (Pb, Hg, Cd, As, and Cu). The concentration levels of all five metals in muscle did not surpass the national standard. Furthermore, eight significant correlations have been found. For further in-depth assess risk of crayfish in Qianjiang, estimated daily intake (EDI), target hazard quotient (THQ), carcinogenic risk (CR), and estimated maximum allowable consumption rates (CR_mm) were evaluated in the abdomen muscle and hepatopancreas. The THQ values for each metal were found to be less than 1, while the CR values were below 10^-6. Additionally, the CR_mm for adults was determined to be 17.2 meals per month. These findings, based on the analysis of five metallic elements included in this study, suggest that the consumption of crayfish abdomen muscle in Qianjiang does not pose any significant health risks. However, it is noteworthy that certain regions exhibit elevated levels of arsenic in the hepatopancreas, surpassing the national standard, thereby rendering them unsuitable for excessive consumption. In general, the findings can be used to provide guidance for safe dietary practices in China.

Residue behavior of cyantraniliprole and its ecological effects on Procambarus clarkii associated with the rice-crayfish integrated system

BACKGROUND

Cyantraniliprole, a second-generation diamide insecticide, was recently introduced in China, where the rice-crayfish integrated system (RCIS) is practiced to control rice pest infestations. The aim of this study was to investigate the residue behavior of cyantraniliprole in RCIS and its potential ecological effects on nontarget Procambarus clarkii in order to recommend safe pesticide application strategies.

RESULTS

Cyantraniliprole dissipated in rice plants according to first-order kinetics, with an average half-life of 5.25 days and a dissipation rate of >95% over 28 days. The terminal cyantraniliprole residue levels in rice straw, paddy hull and brown rice were all within 0.2 mg kg^-1 , which is the China-recommended maximum residue limit. The tissues of P. clarkii accumulated and distributed cyantraniliprole in the descending order gill > hepatopancreas > intestine > muscles. Procambarus clarkii exposed to cyantraniliprole exhibited a moderate decrease in weight gain, specific growth rate and condition factor compared to the control group. Exposure of P. clarkii to cyantraniliprole caused histopathological alterations to the hepatopancreas, but the alterations were not statistically significant in the 60 g ai ha^-1 cyantraniliprole group when compared with the control group.

CONCLUSION

We suggest that 10% cyantraniliprole oil dispersion be sprayed twice at an interval of 14 days and dosage of 60 g ai ha^-1 during the growth stage of rice in RCIS. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Bayesian inference of heavy metals exposure in crayfish for assessing human non-carcinogenic health risk

Contaminant concentrations often presented left censorship that below the limit of detection (LOD), which may contain true zero values because of no residue. In this study, we analyzed the concentrations of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), and chromium (Cr) in 391 crayfish samples collected from 24 provinces of China, modelled the concentrations with two different models in a Bayesian framework, and evaluated health risk by estimating the target hazard quotient (THQ). The highest concentration was associated with Cr in Northwest China (0.1753 ± 0.1520 mg/kg w. w.), and the minimum concentration was Cd in Southwest China (0.0052 ± 0.0144 mg/kg w. w.), all heavy metal concentrations were below their safety limits. The posterior means of not detect rates P₀ of Pb, Cd, Hg, As, and Cr obtained with two models were both nearly equal to the observed not detect rates (51.15%, 36.83%, 27.37%, 64.71%, and 43.73%, respectively). The posterior probabilistic density lines for Pb, Hg, and Cd concentrations obtained with two models were similar, and fitted the empirical distributions well. The posterior density lines of THQs showed that the non-carcinogenic risk of As and Hg were significant high. Moreover, Bayesian approach presented a better understanding of the percentage of population exposed to potential risk.

Trace elements in red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) in China: Spatiotemporal variation and human health implications

The enrichment and health risk assessment of trace elements in crayfish on a national scale are significant for food safety due to the rapidly expanding crayfish consumption in China. In the present study, 4709 samples were extracted from databases to explore the spatiotemporal variation characteristics of trace elements in crayfish. Due to the variance in the background value of trace elements, the level of trace elements varies by region. Additionally, levels of As and Cr in crayfish increased with the promotion of intensive rice-crayfish coculture in China. Health risk assessment results revealed that trace elements may cause non-carcinogenic risk for crayfish consumption for adults and children from the mid-lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and the main risk was from As and Hg. The cancer risk values of As for children and adults in Zhejiang, Anhui, Heilongjiang, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi and Shandong provinces were above the allowable value. There is concern about the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk of consuming crayfish containing trace elements in some areas in China. Therefore, the results can serve as a critical reference for policy purposes in China. In addition, it is recommended that further research and assessment on crayfish consumption are required.

Estimation of contamination level in microplastic-exposed crayfish by laser confocal micro-Raman imaging

Crayfish is one of the most important freshwater aquaculture species in China. The potential risks of crayfish consumption caused by environmental microplastic pollution have attracted much attention. In this study, a total of 72 crayfish samples were exposed to the microplastic concentrations of 1 mg/L, 3 mg/L, and 9 mg/L for 7, 14, and 28 days, and microplastic contamination levels in crayfish were then explored by laser confocal micro-Raman (LCM-Raman) imaging and scanning electron microscope (SEM). LCM-Raman imaging showed better performance in microplastics identification. Besides, the average percentage of the contaminated area in visualized LCM-Raman images was used to quantitatively assess contamination levels. Following 28 days of exposure to 9 mg/L microplastics, microplastic accumulation reached about 13,000 particles per crayfish. The results confirmed that LCM-Raman imaging combined with image processing technology could be used to construct a high-performance analytical strategy for the assessment of microplastic contamination in crayfish.

Determination of Soil Cadmium Safety Thresholds for Food Production in a Rice-Crayfish Coculture System

Previous studies have mainly focused on cadmium (Cd) contamination in conventional rice monocultures, and no research on rice-crayfish coculture has been reported. In this study, a Cd-contaminated (0−30 mg kg−1) rice-crayfish co-culture system was established by adding exogenous Cd. The results showed that the Cd concentration in each tissue of rice and each organ of crayfish increased with increasing soil Cd concentration. Specifically, the Cd concentration in each rice tissue was as follows: root > stem > leaf ≈ panicle > grain > brown rice, and the jointing and heading stages were critical periods for the rapid enrichment of Cd in the aboveground tissues of rice. The Cd concentration in each organ of crayfish was as follows: hepatopancreas > gut > gill ≈ exoskeleton > abdominal muscle. Cd was gradually enriched in the abdominal muscle after 30 days of coculture between crayfish and rice. Pearson’s correlation analysis showed that the soil’s total Cd concentration, available Cd concentration, and water Cd concentration were positively correlated with Cd content in various tissues of rice and various organs of crayfish, whereas EC and TDS in water were markedly related to rice stems, leaves, stalks, and small crayfish. According to the maximum limit of Cd in grain (0.2 mg kg−1) and crustacean aquatic products (0.5 mg kg−1) in China, the safe threshold of soil Cd for rice and crayfish under the rice-crayfish coculture system is 3.67 and 14.62 mg kg−1, respectively. Therefore, when the soil Cd concentration in the rice-crayfish coculture system exceeds 3.67 mg kg−1, the safety risk to humans through the consumption of food from this coculture system will increase. This study provides a theoretical basis for safe food production in a rice-crayfish coculture system using the established Cd pollution model.

Comparison of Pollution Levels, Biomagnification Capacity, and Risk Assessments of Heavy Metals in Nearshore and Offshore Regions of the South China Sea

Seawater and fish were collected from nearshore (Pearl River Estuarine, PRE) and offshore (middle of the South China Sea, MSCS) regions of the South China Sea (SCS) to determine the heavy metals (HMs) pollution status and biomagnification characteristics. Results show that Cu in PRE seawater was moderately contaminated. Overall pollution risk of seawater were PRE (3.32) > MSCS (0.56), whereas that of fish was MSCS (0.88) > PRE (0.42). δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N exhibited distinguished characteristics for PRE and MSCS fish, indicating the diverse energy sources, nitrogen sources, and food web structures of nearshore and offshore regions. Cu was biomagnified whereas Pb and Ni were biodiluted in offshore fish. Hg presented significant biomagnification in both of nearshore and offshore fish. Finally, the target hazard quotient of Hg (1.41) in MSCS fish exceeded the standard limit, which was posed by high Hg concentration and consumption rate of offshore fish.

Toxic metals in rice-fish co-culture systems and human health

The threat of contamination with toxic metals (TMs) to food security and human health has become a high priority in recent decades. Hence, countless studies have investigated the safe cultivation of rice and fish, respectively, as the main food crop and protein source worldwide. For the present study, a literature search of the PubMed, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases identified 11 studies that met the inclusion criteria and provided sufficient data to assess the relationship between TM contamination of rice, fish, and shrimp products from rice-fish co-culture systems and carcinogenic risk (CR) and non-carcinogenic risk (non-CR) to humans. The result showed that consumption of Monopterus albus and rice contaminated with a single TM had a slight non-CR, which is synergistically increased by multiple TMs. Consumption of Procambarus clarkii posed no non-CR to humans. The CR of all studies ranged from 1.77 × 10^-10 to 5.65 × 10^-8, and less than 1 × 10^-6, indicating that under current food safety guidelines, rice and fish produced by rice-fish co-culture systems pose no CR. Rice-fish co-culture systems can greatly reduce the CR and non-CR of TMs to humans.

Trends in the Exposure, Distribution, and Health Risk Assessment of Perchlorate among Crayfish in the Middle and Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River

Perchlorate is a well-known thyroid-disrupting chemical as well as an extremely stable inorganic pollutant widely distributed in the environment. Therefore, perchlorate posts potential risks to the environment as well as human health. Crayfish is a dominant aquatic food with increasing consumption levels in recent years. It is crucial to evaluate the accumulation of perchlorate with well-water-soluble properties in crayfish and to assess its health risks. In our present study, we obtained crayfish samples from cultivated ponds and markets based on the regions of the Middle and Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River. The perchlorate concentration was measured in all 206 samples using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS). Monte Carlo simulation was used to perform health risk assessments. The results indicated that perchlorate levels ranged from 7.74–43.71 μg/kg for cultivated crayfish and 4.90–16.73 μg/kg for crayfish sold in markets. The perchlorate accumulation mainly occurred in exoskeleton parts. All the HQ values were remarkable, at less than one—indicating that perchlorate exposure through the ingestion of crayfish does not pose an appreciable risk to human health.

Heavy metal residues, releases and food health risks between the two main crayfish culturing models: Rice-crayfish coculture system versus crayfish intensive culture system

High-density culturing with excessive feeding of commercial feed has caused heavy metals pollution to agricultural production system. In this study, the dynamic changes and transfer of heavy metals in rice-crayfish coculture system (RCCS) and crayfish intensive culture system (CICS) within a completed culture cycle were systematically quantified. Our results showed that Cd in feed represented more than 50% of the total Cd input, and the inputs of As and Cr were mainly from irrigation. The residues of As and Pb in RCCS were slightly higher than those in CICS, while the residues of Cd and Cr in RCCS were far fewer than those in CICS. Moreover, the metal pollution index in CICS was 0.781, while it was 0.543 in the RCCS. Furthermore, a large proportion of the Cd and Pb in CICS was released into the external environment through drainage. Notably, the absorption and solidification of heavy metals by straw did not increase the residues of As and Pb in the major components of RCCS in the second year. Compared to CICS, RCCS did not produce many heavy metal residues or cause heavy metal discharge pressure on the external environment, and its food product had a low risk of heavy metal contamination.

Impact of polyaluminum chloride on the bioaccumulation of selected elements in the tissues of invasive spiny-cheek crayfish (Faxonius limosus) - Potential risks to consumers

The effect of coagulants used in lake reclamation on crayfish is poorly understood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate changes in the bioaccumulation of Al, Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Na and Zn in the gills, exoskeleton, muscle and hepatopancreas of spiny-cheek crayfish (Faxonius limosus) as a result of exposure to PAX®18 coagulant, containing polyaluminum chloride. The study also evaluated the risk to human health from the consumption of crayfish muscle. Metal levels, determined using atomic absorption spectrometry, differed between metals (the highest concentrations for Ca, K, Na, Mg) and the body part. Calcium was most abundant in the exoskeleton, K in the muscles, while Cu and Al in the hepatopancreas. The bioaccumulation of metals was affected by exposure to the coagulant, with a statistically significant (p < 0.05) increase in muscle concentration of Al and Na and a decrease in Ca and Fe. The concentrations of elements (in μg g^-1) in the muscle of the control group crayfish and those in contact with the coagulant were, respectively: K (2150; 2090), Na (1540; 2020), Ca (749; 602), Mg (207; 174), Al (103; 164), Zn (21.1; 19.1), Fe (7.6; 3.8) and Cu (8.4; 7.6). Most elements were below 12% of the Dietary Reference Values (DRV). The Al concentration in the muscle exceeded the tolerable weekly intake (TWI) (maximum 164% TWI for muscle of crayfish exposed to polyaluminum chloride). In conclusion, the studied F. limosus had typical elemental bioaccumulation for a crayfish, but the contact with the coagulant increased Al concentration and decreased Fe, Ca, Mg, Zn and Cu concentrations. The muscle of crayfish can be used as a supplementary source of essential elements in the human diet, but it seems necessary to introduce obligatory control of Al levels due to the use of polyaluminum chloride in lake restoration.

Isolation, Molecular Characterization, and Antimicrobial Resistance of Selected Culturable Bacteria From Crayfish (Procambarus clarkii)

Red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) have become one of the favorite aquatic products in China. The modern farming mode which uses antibiotics to prevent diseases could impact the bacteria in crayfish intestines. Here, we determined the distribution and antimicrobial resistance phenotypes of the selected culturable bacteria in crayfish intestines and characterized an isolate with last-line antibiotic resistance determinant. Totally, 257 strains were isolated from 115 crayfish. These strains were highly diverse, with Citrobacter sp. (n = 94, 36.6%) and Aeromonas sp. (n = 88, 34.2%) being dominant. Other isolates belonged to genera Pseudomonas, Myroides, Morganella, Klebsiella, Acinetobacter, Proteus, Enterobacter, Kluyvera, and Escherichia. Most strains from crayfish were susceptible to all tested antibiotics. None of the isolates carried last-line antibiotic resistance genes except one Escherichia coli isolate with blaNDM-5 was detected, which is the first report of blaNDM-5-positive E. coli isolate from red swamp crayfish. Whole-genome sequencing suggested it belonged to ST48 and carried several resistance genes. blaNDM-5 was located within an Tn3000-like transposon linked to an external 5 bp sequence (ACTAT) on both sides on a IncHI1B/HI1A/FIA multi-replicon plasmid. This transposon was considered to be acquired by replicative transposition mediated by IS3000. The emergence of bacteria with last-line antibiotic resistance genes in crayfish poses serious threat to public health since crayfish could act as a reservoir for the transfer of resistance to humans.

Assessment of some trace elements accumulation in Karst lake sediment and Procambarus clarkii, in Guizhou province, China

Lake wetland quality has decreased with the elevated concentrations of some trace elements. The consumption of crayfish in the trace elements concentrated lake wetland can be a hazard for the waterbirds and human health. Thus, the bioaccumulations of Cd, Ni, Pb and Zn in sediments and abdominal muscles of Procambarus clarkii in Caohai lake wetland, China were quantified. Sediment-bound Cd, Ni, Pb and Zn were remarkably elevated compared to the parent rock, while 64.71-94.12% of adverse effect index in sediment-bound Cd, Ni, Pb and Zn were > 1. Abdominal muscle-bound Cd, Pb and Zn in several samples were all above the maximum permissible limits. Pb, Zn and Ni in abdominal muscles were significantly linked with those in sediments (R² =0.60-0.89, p < 0.01) and lake sediment might be the important feed sources of P. clarkii. Target hazard quotients of Cd, Ni, Pb and Zn at the 95th percentile was all below the benchmark, normal consumption of the abdominal muscle of P. clarkii posed low or no probabilistic health risk to the Grus nigricollis and local inhabitants.

A Multi-Medium Analysis of Human Health Risk of Toxic Elements in Rice-Crayfish System: A Case Study from Middle Reach of Yangtze River, China

Rice-crayfish system has been extensively promoted in China in recent years. However, the presence of toxic elements in soil may threaten the quality of agricultural products. In this study, eight toxic elements were determined in multi-medium including soil, rice, and crayfish from the rice-crayfish system (RCS) and conventional rice culture (CRC) area. Crayfish obtained a low level of toxic element content, and mercury (Hg) in rice from RCS showed the highest bioavailability and mobility. Health risk assessment, coupled with Monte Carlo simulation, revealed that the dietary exposure to arsenic (As) and Hg from rice and crayfish consumption was the primary factor for non-carcinogenic risk, while Cd and As were the dominant contributors to the high carcinogenic risk of rice intake for adults and children, respectively. Based on the estimated probability distribution, the probabilities of the total cancer risk (TCR) of rice intake for children from RCS were lower than that from CRC.

Feed-additive Limosilactobacillus fermentum GR-3 reduces arsenic accumulation in Procambarus clarkii

Procambarus clarkii (crayfish) accumulates a high concentration of Arsenic (As) from the aquatic environment and causes considerable human health risks. In this study, Limosilactobacillus fermentum GR-3 strain was isolated from "Jiangshui" and applied for As(III) adsorption and antioxidant abilities. Strain GR-3 removed 50.67% of 50 mg/L As(III) and exhibited the high antioxidant potential of DPPH (1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) (87.63%) and hydroxyl radical (74.51%) scavenging rate in vitro. P. clarkii was feed with strain GR-3, the results showed that As(III) concentration reduced, and residual level in hepatopancreas was decreased by 36%, compared to As(III)-exposed group (control). Gut microbial sequencing showed that strain GR-3 restores gut microbiota dysbiosis caused by As(III) exposure. Further application in the field scale was performed and revealed a decrease in As(III) accumulation and increasing 50% aquaculture production of the total output. In summary, feed-additive probiotic is recommended as a novel strategy to minimize aquaculture foods toxicity and safe human health.

Heavy Metals in the Muscle and Hepatopancreas of Red Swamp Crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) in Campania (Italy)

Simple Summary

Heavy 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.

Abstract

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.