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Human health risk assessment of potentially toxic elements and microplastics accumulation in products from the Danube River Basin fish market
Summary
This study measured both toxic metals and microplastics in fish and seafood sold in the Lower Danube River region of Europe. Seafood species, especially mussels, had the highest levels of toxic metals and contained polystyrene microplastics. While the calculated health risks from metals alone were below danger thresholds, the combined exposure to both metals and microplastics through seafood consumption deserves further study.
The present study aimed to quantify the concentration levels of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) such as aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, nickel, lead, zinc, and mercury, as well as microplastics occurrence in various tissues of fish and seafood species, commercialized in the Lower Danube River Basin. A health risk assessment analysis was performed based on the PTEs concentration levels in the muscle tissue. Estimated daily intake (EDI), target hazard quotient (THQ), hazard index (HI), and target cancer risk (TR) of PTEs were calculated. It was observed that the species within the seafood category registered the highest levels of PTEs. For instance, in the muscle tissue of bivalve Mytilus galloprovincialis (from the Black Sea), the highest value was observed in the case of Zn (37.693 mg/kg), and the presence of polystyrene polymer was identified. The values associated with EDI, THQ, HI, and TR of PTE exposure were significantly lower than 1.