Health risks arising from the dietary intake of chemical contaminants: a case study of the consumption of edible marine species in Catalonia, NE Spain

Abstract

Dietary intake is the main means of human exposure to toxic metals and persistent organic pollutants (POPs). In 2000, our laboratory initiated research into dietary exposure to a number of metals and organic pollutants. Among 11 food groups analyzed, the highest levels of most pollutants were detected in fish and seafood. This group contributed most to the intake of As, Hg and Pb, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/PCDFs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polychlorinated diphenyl ethers (PCDEs). Fish and seafood also made an important contribution to the daily intake of Cd, hexachlorobenzene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs). However, the levels of contaminants were only determined in three species of fresh fish and in two species of tinned fish, which was a limiting factor for the purposes of establishing recommendations concerning human consumption of fish and other seafood. Taking into account the potentially important contribution made by marine species to the dietary intake of environmental pollutants, as well as the reduced number of species analyzed, we recently performed additional research to extend our previous study. This paper presents our results from both the preliminary and the extended studies. In general terms, most marine species analyzed do not pose adverse health risks for consumers. However, the type of fish, frequency of consumption, and meal size are essential factors in balancing the health benefits and risks of regular fish consumption.