Consumption of Fish and Shrimp from Southeast Louisiana Poses No Unacceptable Lifetime Cancer Risks Attributable to High‐Priority Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

Abstract

Following oil spills such as the Deepwater Horizon accident (DWH), contamination of seafood resources and possible increased health risks attributable to consumption of seafood in spill areas are major concerns. In this study, locally harvested finfish and shrimp were collected from research participants in southeast Louisiana and analyzed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAHs are some of the most important chemicals of concern regarding oil-spill-contaminated seafood resources during and following oil spills. Some PAHs are considered carcinogens for risk assessment purposes, and currently, seven of these can be combined in lifetime cancer risk assessments using EPA approaches. Most PAHs were not detected in these samples (minimum detection limits ranged from 1.2 to 2.1 PPB) and of those that were detected, they were generally below 10 PPB. The pattern of detected PAHs suggested that the source of these chemicals in these seafood samples was not a result of direct contact with crude oil. Lifetime cancer risks were assessed using conservative assumptions and models in a probabilistic framework for the seven carcinogenic PAHs. Lifetime health risks modeled using this framework did not exceed a 1/10,000 cancer risk threshold. Conservative, health-protective deterministic estimates of the levels of concern for PAH chemical concentration and seafood intake rates were above the concentrations and intake rates modeled under this probabilistic framework. Taken together, consumption of finfish and shrimp harvested from southeast Louisiana following the DWH does not pose unacceptable lifetime cancer risks from these seven carcinogenic PAHs even for the heaviest possible consumers.

Cancer Incidence Trend in the Hebei Spirit Oil Spill Area, from 1999 to 2014: An Ecological Study

“…In a study conducted 1.5 years [ 13 ] after the spill, the oxidative DNA stress marker levels, which could be indicative of cancer risk, were higher in the high-exposure group than in the low-exposure group; the effect persisted for 6 years after the spill [ 14 ]. Chromosome damage was observed among fishermen in studies conducted two and six years after the Prestige oil spill in Spain [ 15 , 16 , 17 ], and cancer risk modeling was performed after the British Petroleum Deepwater Horizon (BPDH) oil spill in the United States of America (USA) [ 18 ].…”

“…While oil spills have occurred across the world, studies on the associated mid- and long-term health effects have been reported only in three countries: Spain (Prestige oil spill), the USA (Exxon Valdez oil spill [ 19 , 20 , 21 ] and the BPDH oil spill [ 18 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 ]), and Korea (HSOS) [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ]. There have been concerns pertaining to the potential development of cancers in the affected areas; however, few studies have focused on the cancer incidence among residents after the oil spill despite their consequent exposure to carcinogenic substances.…”

Organochlorine pesticides, brominated flame retardants, synthetic musks and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in shrimps. An overview of occurrence and its implication on human exposure

“…Table S4 (supplementary data) summarizes published studies from 2004-2020 regarding shrimp contamination with PAHs [ 24 , 25 , 36 , 52 , 54 , 60 , 69 , 71 , 105 , 106 , 107 , 108 , 109 , 110 , 111 , 112 , 113 , 114 , 115 , 116 , 117 , 118 , 119 , 120 ]. As demonstrated in Table S4 the 16 PAHs that EPA listed as priority pollutants are the most studied ones.…”

“…The most applied sample catchment method was trawl fishing [ 24 , 113 , 116 , 118 ] and one author reported the use of a scoop net [ 71 ]. As possible pollution sources of PAHs near the sampling locations the authors indicated highly urbanized and industrialized areas [ 54 , 60 , 71 , 110 , 117 , 118 ], more specifically industry, such as petrochemical refineries, nuclear power stations and thermal power stations [ 24 , 106 , 109 , 113 ], oil spills [ 105 , 112 , 115 , 120 ], and specifically the deepwater horizon oil spill [ 36 , 114 , 116 ], another possible source of PAHs formation can be the grilling of food [ 108 , 111 ].

Figure 4 Reported concentrations of Ʃ16 priority PAHs found in shrimp samples, from 2004 to 2020.

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Citizen Science in North American Agri-Food Systems: Lessons Learned

“…CS projects resulted in new plant varieties for organic farming (Lyon et al 2018); greater understanding of pollinator health (Bloom and Crowder 2020); evidence of linkage between antibiotic-resistant bacteria and livestock worker health (Guidry et al 2018;Hatcher et al 2017aHatcher et al , 2017bNadimpalli et al 2015Nadimpalli et al , 2016Rhodes et al 2020;Rinsky et al 2013); and documentation of pesticide drift into homes and schools (Harrison 2011(Harrison , 2017Marquez and Schafer 2017). Some projects directly helped community members to document contamination from oil sands development (Baker 2016;Baker and Fort Mackay Berry Group 2019) and from an oil spill (Simon-Friedt et al 2016;Wickliffe et al 2018;Wilson et al 2015). CS also provided data that enabled citizens to avoid environmental and health harms, such as reducing exposure to heavy metals found in garden soil and collected rainwater (Ramirez-Andreotta et al 2013, 2014, 2015Sandhaus et al 2018;Soleri et al 2016).…”