title: Heavy metals concentrations in fish and shellfish from eastern Mediterranean Sea: consumption advisories.
abstract: The present study evaluate concentrations of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), vanadium (V) and zinc (Zn) in fish and shellfish from the Gulf of Catania. Heavy metal analysis was carried on with an ICP-MS, and consumption rates advisory for minimizing chronic systemic and non cancer endpoints in child and adults have been estimated. Among metals investigated, only Cd and Pb have a limit set by European Community for human consumption, and the thresholds were not been exceeded in analyzed species. The As, toxic in its inorganic form, have not a regulatory limit yet, but the Environmental Protection Agency and the World Health Organization provide a reference dose, a cancer slope factor and a tolerable intake, applicable in the risk factors assessment. Arsenic target hazard quotient (THQ) values, suggest that human should minimizing meals/week of analyzed species to avoid deleterious effect during lifetime, furthermore, with As cancer risk assessment, for most of the fish, the risk for cancer is greater than the acceptable lifetime risk of 10(-5). Our results give important finding about the consumption limits on certain metals, especially for As, all for minimizing potential health risks in population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hygiene and Public Health G.F. Ingrassia, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 87, 95123 Catania, Italy. chiaracopat@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Copat
authors.forename: Giovani
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Arena
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fiore
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ledda
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fallico
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sciacca
authors.forename: Margherita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferrante
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D005399:Fishes; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D008522:Mediterranean Sea; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity*; D008974:Mollusca / Q000737:chemistry*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012758:Shellfish / Q000032:analysis*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical