Assessment and Monitoring of Fish Quality from a Coastal Ecosystem under High Anthropic Pressure: A Case Study in Southern Italy

Giovanna Loredana La Torre, Nicola Cicero, Giovanni Bartolomeo, Rossana Rando, Rossella Vadalà, Antonello Santini, Alessandra Durazzo, Massimo Lucarini, Giacomo Dugo and Andrea Salvo
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Giovanna Loredana La Torre: Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Polo Universitario Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy
Nicola Cicero: Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Polo Universitario Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy
Giovanni Bartolomeo: Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Polo Universitario Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy
Rossana Rando: Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Polo Universitario Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy
Rossella Vadalà: Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Polo Universitario Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy
Antonello Santini: Department of Pharmacy, University of Napoli Federico II, Via D. Montesano 49, 80131 Napoli, Italy
Alessandra Durazzo: CREA-Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, 00178 Roma, Italy
Massimo Lucarini: CREA-Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, 00178 Roma, Italy
Giacomo Dugo: Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Polo Universitario Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy
Andrea Salvo: Dipartimento di Chimica e Tecnologie del Farmaco, Università La Sapienza, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 9, 1-22

Abstract: Fish is a nutrient-rich food but, at the same time, consumption of fish is a possible source of exposure to heavy metals. Since many coastal Mediterranean areas suffer from great anthropomorphic pressure, the aim of this study was to assess the level of potentially toxic inorganic elements in different fish samples from the coastal zone of Southern Italy (Gela) where there is a high mortality rate linked to cancer disease and congenital malformations. The presence of mercury, cadmium, lead, nickel, arsenic, vanadium, and chromium was measured by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The risk assessment was evaluated in terms of estimated daily intake by calculating the amount of potentially toxic elements that an average individual adult weighing 60 kg would ingest. Moreover the non-carcinogenic risk was estimated by target hazard quotient (THQ). The study evidenced significant contamination by inorganic elements, especially cadmium, which can be linked to industrial pollution. The THQ indexes, as indicators of human health, suggest that the consumption of fish from the study area is not free of risk.

Keywords: fish; heavy metals; food safety; human health; pollution; Mediterranean Sea (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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