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.

Assessment and monitoring of fish quality from a coastal ecosystem under high anthropic pressure: a case study in southern Italy / Giovanna Loredana La Torre, ; Cicero, Nicola; Bartolomeo, Giovanni; Rando, Rossana; Vadalà, Rossella; Santini, Antonello; Durazzo, Alessandra; Lucarini, Massimo; Dugo, Giacomo; Salvo, Andrea. - In: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH. - ISSN 1660-4601. - 17:9(2020), pp. 1-22. [10.3390/ijerph17093285]

Assessment and monitoring of fish quality from a coastal ecosystem under high anthropic pressure: a case study in southern Italy

Andrea Salvo.
Ultimo
Supervision
2020

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.
2020
fish; heavy metals; food safety; human health; pollution; Mediterranean Sea
01 Pubblicazione su rivista::01a Articolo in rivista
Assessment and monitoring of fish quality from a coastal ecosystem under high anthropic pressure: a case study in southern Italy / Giovanna Loredana La Torre, ; Cicero, Nicola; Bartolomeo, Giovanni; Rando, Rossana; Vadalà, Rossella; Santini, Antonello; Durazzo, Alessandra; Lucarini, Massimo; Dugo, Giacomo; Salvo, Andrea. - In: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH. - ISSN 1660-4601. - 17:9(2020), pp. 1-22. [10.3390/ijerph17093285]
File allegati a questo prodotto
File Dimensione Formato  
La-Torre_Assessment_2020.pdf

accesso aperto

Tipologia: Versione editoriale (versione pubblicata con il layout dell'editore)
Licenza: Creative commons
Dimensione 1.26 MB
Formato Adobe PDF
1.26 MB Adobe PDF

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11573/1392687
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? 4
  • Scopus 23
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 20
social impact