Arsenic, selenium, and metals in a commercial and vulnerable fish from southwestern Atlantic estuaries: distribution in water and tissues and public health risk assessment

Abstract

The anadromous catfish Genidens barbus is a vulnerable and economically important species from the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean. Concentrations of As, Co, Fe, Se, and Zn were determined in water and muscle, gill, and liver of catfish from two southwestern Atlantic estuaries (Brazil and Argentina) and health risk via fish consumption was evaluated. High spatial variability was observed in the metals, As, and Se distribution for both estuaries. Considering all tissues, element concentrations (mg/kg, wet weight) were As = 0.41-23.50, Co = 0.01-2.9, Fe = 2.08-773, Se = 0.15-10.7, and Zn = 3.97-2808). Most of the trace elements tended to be higher in Brazil than in Argentina, except for Co, Fe, Se, and Zn in liver and Fe and Co in muscle and gill, respectively. Arsenic accumulation order was muscle > liver ≥ gill. Only As (muscle) was above the maximum recommended by international guidelines at both estuaries. The target hazard quotient ranged from 0.10 to 1.58, suggesting that people may experience significant health risks through catfish consumption. Supposing that the inorganic/toxic As ranged between 1 and 20% of the total, the recommended maximum intakes per capita bases were 6.1-95 and 8.4-138 kg/year (wet weight) for Brazil and Argentina, respectively. Carcinogenic risk for As intake was within the acceptable range but close to the recommended limit (> 10 −4 ). These results highlights the importance of quantifying the As species in catfish muscle in order to generate more reliable risk estimates.

Health Risk Assessment of Metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, Cd, As, Hg, Se) in Angling Fish with Different Lengths Collected from Liuzhou, China

“…Compared with the concentration of metals in fish from other countries, the concentrations of Cu, Pb, Cr, and Cd in WFAs during this study were significantly lower than in Ganga River, India [32]. The concentration of Se was slightly higher than that in Río de la Plata Estuary, Brazil [33]. However, the concentration of Zn was significantly higher than that in Río de la Plata Estuary, Brazil, and Ganga River, India [32,33].…”

“…The concentration of Se was slightly higher than that in Río de la Plata Estuary, Brazil [33]. However, the concentration of Zn was significantly higher than that in Río de la Plata Estuary, Brazil, and Ganga River, India [32,33]. The pollution levels of Cr and Cd in wild fish were noticeably higher than in River Kabul, Pakistan [34].…”

Seasonal arsenic in catfish (Siluriformes, Ariidae) and the hydrochemical conditions of two areas in a Ramsar site on the Brazilian coast

“…However, the sampling points located in the innermost sectors of the CIELC (Cubatão Sea) and in the northern site showed a higher composition of mud (silt/clay), ranging of 45 to 60%. Some studies of As content in aquatic ecosystems in Brazil have linked high levels of As in coastal and estuarine sediments to the enrichment of sediments by continental rocks (Angeli et al 2019, Kim et al 2020, Santos et al 2020. Therefore, the high natural concentration of As in the southern region of the CIELC may be another factor that influences the arsenic uptake of catfish from this area.…”

Accumulation of As, Cd, Pb, and Zn in sediment, chironomids and fish from a high-mountain lake: First insights from the Carnic Alps

“…In addition, trace elements trapped in sediments can enter the food web through organisms taken as part of the diet, e.g., fish that prey on benthic organisms (Alhashemi et al, 2012;Zulkifli et al, 2016;Palacios-Torres et al, 2020). Fish are at the top of the trophic chain and can accumulate large amounts of certain trace elements (Squadrone et al, 2013;Avigliano et al, 2019). The accumulation patterns of contaminants in fish and other aquatic organisms are driven by uptake and elimination rates (Guven et al, 1999).…”