Health risk assessment of metals in mud crab (Scylla serrata) from the East Java Estuaries of Indonesia

Review of the Terminology, Approaches, and Formulations Used in the Guidelines on Quantitative Risk Assessment of Chemical Hazards in Food

This paper reviews the published terminology, mathematical models, and the possible approaches used to characterise the risk of foodborne chemical hazards, particularly pesticides, metals, mycotoxins, acrylamide, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The results confirmed the wide variability of the nomenclature used, e.g., 28 different ways of referencing exposure, 13 of cancer risk, or 9 of slope factor. On the other hand, a total of 16 equations were identified to formulate all the risk characterisation parameters of interest. Therefore, the present study proposes a terminology and formulation for some risk characterisation parameters based on the guidelines of international organisations and the literature review. The mathematical model used for non-genotoxic hazards is a ratio in all cases. However, the authors used the probability of cancer or different ratios, such as the margin of exposure (MOE) for genotoxic hazards. For each effect studied per hazard, the non-genotoxic effect was mostly studied in pesticides (79.73%), the genotoxic effect was mostly studied in PAHs (71.15%), and both effects were mainly studied in metals (59.4%). The authors of the works reviewed generally opted for a deterministic approach, although most of those who assessed the risk for mycotoxins or the ratio and risk for acrylamide used the probabilistic approach.

Total body burden of neurotoxicant Hg in Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) - Considerations of distribution and human risk assessment

The Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) is considered one of the 100 most invasive alien species in the world. Despite this, its role in ecosystems, among others, in the trophodynamics of pollutants including mercury, is still not fully understood. Becoming an increasingly important and widespread element of the trophic chain in new areas arouses interest from humans as consumers. Hence it is important to determine the level of contaminants (including Hg) in alien species. In the present study, great attention was paid separately to the soft tissues and hard tissues of the exoskeleton, which may play an important role in the detoxification of the crab's body from toxic Hg. The study was conducted on crabs collected in 2011-2021 in the Vistula Lagoon. Concentrations of total mercury and its forms were carried out using a Direct Mercury Analyzer, DMA-80 (Milestone, Italy). The present study showed that mercury accumulation of the crab's body largely occurred through the gills, followed by the oral route. The distribution of Hg in the crab's organs was related to the trophic origin of the mercury, while halide-bound mercury and semilabile forms from the respiration (filtration) process were redistributed into the crab's exoskeleton. Male crabs, compared to females, had a higher Hg burden on internal organs such as their hepatopancreas and gonads. Hg concentration in hard tissues was closely related to the type of mineralization of the carapace. The elimination of Hg from the muscles and from the hepatopancreas into the carapace was one of the important detoxification processes of the crab's body. Thus, moulting crabs effectively remove Hg protecting its body from the neurotoxin. As a result, a smaller Hg load is biomagnified, making the crab's muscle tissue fit for human consumption. The observed decrease in Hg concentrations from 2011 to 2021, as well as the spatial variability of Hg in the crab's muscles, testify that the crab can serve as a biomonitor for ecosystem changes.

Potential risks of heavy metals in green mussels (Perna viridis) harvested from Cilincing and Kamal Muara, Jakarta Bay, Indonesia to human health

This study investigates Pb, Cd, and Cr in the suspended particulate matter (SPM), sediments, and green mussels from Cilincing and Kamal Muara, Jakarta Bay and estimates their potential human health risks. The results showed that the metal levels in SPM from Cilincing ranged from 0.81 to 1.69 mg/kg for Pb and 2.14 to 5.31 mg/kg for Cr, while in Kamal Muara ranged from 0.70 to 3.82 mg/kg for Pb and 1.88 to 4.78 mg/kg dry weight for Cr. The levels of Pb, Cd, and Cr in sediments from Cilincing ranged from 16.53 to 32.51 mg/kg, 0.91 to 2.52 mg/kg; and 0.62 to 1.0 mg/kg whereas in Kamal Muara ranged from 8.74 to 8.81 mg/kg; 0.51 to 1.79 mg/kg, and 0.27 to 0.31 mg/kg dry weight, respectively. The levels of Cd and Cr of green mussels in Cilincing ranged from 0.014 to 0.75 mg/kg and 0.003 to 0.11 mg/kg; while in Kamal Muara ranged from 0.015 to 0.073 mg/kg and 0.01 to 0.04 mg/kg wet weight, respectively. Pb was not detected in all samples of green mussels. The Pb, Cd, and Cr levels in the green mussels were still below the permissible limits set by international standards. However, the Target Hazard Quotient (THQ) for adult and children in several samples were higher than one indicating potential noncarcinogenic effects to consumers due to Cd accumulation. To reduce the detrimental effects of metals, we suggest maximum mussel consumption of 0.65 kg for adults and 0.19 kg for children in a week based on the highest level of metals.

Sublethal Effects of Cadmium on the Osmoregulatory and Acid-Base Parameters of Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) at Various Times

Background

Cadmium (Cd) can contaminate aquatic environments as a result of anthropogenic activity. Cd accumulates quickly in the tissues of fish and has the potential to affect their physiology, including osmoregulation and acid-base balance. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the sublethal effects of Cd on the osmoregulation and acid-base balance of tilapia Oreochromis niloticus at different times.

Methods

Fish were exposed to sublethal concentrations of Cd (1 and 2 mg/L) for 4 and 15 days. At the end of the experiment, fish were collected from each treatment to examine the levels of Cd and carbonic anhydrase (CA) in the gills, plasma osmolality, ions, blood pH, pCO₂, pO₂, and hematological parameters.

Results

Cd concentrations in gills rose with increasing Cd concentrations in the medium and exposure time. Cd inhibited respiration by generating metabolic acidosis, decreasing gill CA, reducing pO₂, plasma osmolality, Cl^-, and K⁺, particularly at 2 mg/L for 4 days and 1 and 2 mg/L for 15 days. Red blood cell (RBC), hemoglobin (Hb), and hematocrit (Ht) levels decreased as Cd levels in water and exposure duration increased.

Conclusion

Cd inhibits respiration, lowers RCB, Hb, and Ht levels and decreases ionic and osmotic regulation. All of these impairments can limit a fish's ability to provide appropriate oxygen to its cells, hence diminishing its physical activity and productivity.

Assessment of the health risks related with metal accumulation in blue swimming crab (Portunus pelagicus) caught in East Java coastal waters, Indonesia

Blue swimming crab (BSC) Portunus pelagicus from the Bali Strait had the lowest Cu, Zn, Cr, Pb, Cd and Hg concentrations compared to those from the Java Sea and the Madura Strait. The order of metal concentrations in BSC was Cu > Zn > Cr > Pb > Cd > Hg. The levels of six metals in BSC from all stations were less than the maximum allowable limits. However, Cr levels in BSC from the Java Sea and the Madura Strait exceeded the provisional tolerable weekly intake. All of the hazardous index values reported were greater than one, indicating that consumption of this crab from these locations appears to be hazardous to human health. Furthermore, because the Cr and Cd target cancer risk values were higher than 10^-4, people who consume this crab from these locations may develop cancer after a lifespan of consumption.