Human health risks and benefits assessment based on OCPs, PCBs, toxic elements and fatty acids in the pelagic fish species from the Adriatic Sea

Tijana Milićević; Snježana Herceg Romanić; Aleksandar Popović; Bosiljka Mustać; Jasna Đinović-Stojanović; Gordana Jovanović; Dubravka Relić

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132068

Human health risks and benefits assessment based on OCPs, PCBs, toxic elements and fatty acids in the pelagic fish species from the Adriatic Sea

Chemosphere. 2022 Jan;287(Pt 1):132068. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132068. Epub 2021 Aug 28.

Authors

Tijana Milićević¹, Snježana Herceg Romanić², Aleksandar Popović³, Bosiljka Mustać⁴, Jasna Đinović-Stojanović⁵, Gordana Jovanović⁶, Dubravka Relić³

Affiliations

¹ Environmental Physics Laboratory, Institute of Physics Belgrade, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Pregrevica 118, 11080, Belgrade, Serbia. Electronic address: tijana.milicevic@ipb.ac.rs.
² Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska Cesta 2, PO Box 291, 10001, Zagreb, Croatia.
³ University of Belgrade - Faculty of Chemistry, Studentski Trg 12-16, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia.
⁴ Department of Ecology, Agronomy and Aquaculture, University of Zadar, Trg Kneza Višeslava 9, 23000, Zadar, Croatia.
⁵ Institute of Meat Hygiene and Technology, Kaćanskog 13, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia.
⁶ Environmental Physics Laboratory, Institute of Physics Belgrade, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Pregrevica 118, 11080, Belgrade, Serbia; Singidunum University, Danijelova 32, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia.

PMID: 34481169
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132068

Abstract

Benefits and risks of the fish consumption should be assessed to balance the ingestion of healthy omega-3 fatty acids and adverse chemicals. Persistent organic pollutants-POPs (organochlorine pesticides-OCPs and polychlorinated biphenyls-PCB), macro- and micro-elements and fatty acid contents were determined in six fish species from the Adriatic Sea to assess health risks for consumers (worst-case scenario, diseases development risks and benefit-risk). 16 element, 24 POPs and 14 fatty acid contents were determined in six pelagic species which can be used in human diet. Element concentrations were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), POPs by high-resolution gas chromatography and fatty acid content by gas-liquid chromatography. Diet based on chub mackerel and round sardinella showed lower daily intake (DI) of POPs and highest DI of essential omega-3 fatty acids than other investigated species. Lower ingestion of toxic elements can be observed by consuming anchovy and round sardinella. Based on POP concentrations, there was not observed non-carcinogenic (HI) nor carcinogenic (CR) risks for consumers. Based on element concentrations, there was low HI (0.1 ≥ HI ≥ 1), while the maximum HIs and outlier values (horse mackerel and anchovy samples) implied the presence of HI (HI > 1). The most significant contributor to total non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks was inorganic arsenic (inorganic As). Acceptable CR for consumers was assessed, but maximum CR for consumers of horse mackerel and anchovy (CR ≥ 1 × 10-6) showed adverse effects on human health. There were low HIs for developing cardiovascular, nervous, and reproductive diseases, and maximum HIs were higher than 1. Acceptable (1 × 10^-4≥CR ≥ 1 × 10^-6) risks were observed for developing cancer of nervous system and reproductive organs. Among investigated fish samples, those with higher ƩBR (benefit-risks) and BR for arsenic (As) than median value have a higher risk than benefits in the human diet.

Keywords: Benefit-risk; Fatty acids; Fish; Non-carcinogenic risk and carcinogenic risk; Specific risks; Toxic pollutants.

MeSH terms

Animals
Fatty Acids
Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
Humans
Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated* / analysis
Pesticides* / analysis
Polychlorinated Biphenyls* / analysis
Risk Assessment

Substances

Fatty Acids
Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated
Pesticides
Polychlorinated Biphenyls