Microcystin accumulation in freshwater bivalves from Lake Taihu, China, and the potential risk to human consumption.
The potential risk through ingestion of microcystins (MC) in contaminated mollusks has not been well studied. The present paper studied seasonal changes of MC content (determined by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry) in various organs of three species of bivalves (Cristaria plicata, Hyriopsis cumingii, and Lamprotula leai) in Lake Taihu, China, where toxic cyanobacterial blooms occurred. Coinciding with peaks of seston MC (maximum, 5.7 microg/L) and MC in cyanobacterial blooms (maximum, 0.534 mg/g), most organs showed sharp MC peaks during the summer, indicating both fast uptake and fast depuration by bivalves. Because hepatopancreas and intestine had considerably higher MC content than other organs, they are the most dangerous for human consumption. Both the present and previous studies show that the hepatopancreatic MC and total tissue MC often are correlated in various aquatic invertebrates. During the peak of the cyanobacterial blooms, C. plicata had higher hepatopancreatic MC content than the other bivalves, whereas H. cumingii had higher intestinal MC content than the other bivalves. Estimated daily intakes for humans from the consumption of whole tissues of the three bivalves were 0.48 to 0.94 microg MC-LR equivalent/kg body weight (12- to 23.5-fold the tolerable daily intake value proposed by the World Health Organization), which indicates a high risk for humans consuming these bivalves.
Chen
Jun
J
Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology of China, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Donghu South Road 7, Wuhan 430072, People's Republic of China.
Xie
Ping
P
D000818:Animals; D049872:Bivalvia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D002681:China; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005506:Food Contamination; D005516:Food Microbiology; D043143:Hepatopancreas / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D052998:Microcystins / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000633:toxicity; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012621:Seasons; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity
D052998:Microcystins; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C078588:microcystin