Assessment of potential risks to human health associated with trace elements in three commercially important shark species captured in the Central Mexican Pacific

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 30; no. 50; pp. 109769 - 109783
• Main Authors: Liñán-Cabello, Marco Agustín, Álvaro-Berlanga, Sara, Flores-Jiménez, Graciela Isabel, Calatayud-Pavía, Clara Estíbiz, Gutiérrez, Ángel José, Cruz-Ramírez, Angélica, Jacobi-Aguilar, Cynthia, Soto-Jiménez, Martín Federico
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01-10-2023; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Bioaccumulation; Children; Chromium; Commercialization; Copper; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Essential nutrients; Fish populations; Food contamination; Health risks; Ingestion; Lead; Manganese; Meat; Men; Mercury (metal); Nutrients; Research Article; Risk; Risk assessment; Selenium; Sharks; Trace elements; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Women; Dietary contributions; Hazard Quotient; Shark meat; Potentially toxic elements; Reference dose; Essential trace elements; Nutritional Index
• ISSN: 1614-7499; 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-30079-6

Shark meat is a popular protein source worldwide. However, existing national control policies for ensuring the safety and quality of shark meat are minimal. There are concerns about the sustainability of shark populations, which bioaccumulate and biomagnify potentially toxic elements at higher rates than non-predatory fish, posing a risk to human health. In this study, the contributions of essential elements to the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) and potentially toxic elements to the Reference Dose (RfD) linked to shark consumption (200 g per week) were investigated for three shark species in the Central Mexican Pacific. We estimated risks and benefits for women, children, and men. Our results suggest that the three shark species are sources of Se, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, and Zn, but poor sources of Mn for women and men aged 19–50 years. A weekly ingestion of 200 g of shark meat exceeded the RfD-As by 4–14 times and the RfD-Pb by 1.1–1.7 times for adults, indicating a potential risk to human health. The three shark species were also significant sources of potentially toxic elements for children, including Hg, Cd, Cr, and Pb. An excessive intake of Se was observed, with levels at 8.4–10.6 and 4.3–5.3 times the RDA for children aged 1–8 and 9–13 years, respectively. Although shark meat can be a good source of essential nutrients, the lack of controls in the commercialization process indicates that it should be consumed in moderation due to the potential risks associated with excessive exposure to potentially toxic elements. This caution is particularly important for children and pregnant women, who are at higher risk of health complications from consuming contaminated food.