Ecological and Human Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Cultured Shrimp and Aquaculture Sludge

Abstract

Shrimp is one of the major export products in South Asian countries and also an eminent source of nutrition for humans. Hence, any negative effect of this industry may affect not only the country’s economy but also human health. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to assess heavy metal contamination and associated human health risks in cultured shrimp (Penaeus monodon) and aquaculture sludge collected from three shrimp farms of the Cox’s Bazar district, Bangladesh. The results showed that among the eight metals studied, Pb (17.75 ± 1.5 mg/kg) and Cu (9.43 ± 2.8 mg/kg) levels in all shrimp samples were higher than the recommended limit, whereas the concentrations of Cd (0.09 ± 0.03 mg/kg), Mn (4.83 ± 2.2 mg/kg), As (0.04 ± 0.02 mg/kg), Hg (0.02 ± 0.006 mg/kg), Zn (18.89 ± 2.9 mg/kg) and Cr (0.69 ± 0.6 mg/kg) were within the permissible level. The concentrations of Mn (1043.37 ± 59.8 mg/kg), Cr (30.38 ± 2.1 mg/kg), Zn (74.72 ± 1.13 mg/kg) and Cu (31.14 ± 1.4 mg/kg) in the sludge of all farms were higher than the recommended limit, whereas the concentrations of Pb (20.23 ± 1.9 mg/kg), Cd (0.09 ± 0.2 mg/kg), As (0.44 ± 0.34 mg/kg) and Hg (0.08 ± 0.02 mg/kg) in all sludge samples were lower than the threshold limits. However, the estimated daily intake (EDI), targeted hazard quotient (THQ) and hazard index (HI) assessed for potential human health risk implications suggested that Pb and Cr may pose non-carcinogenic health effects, although carcinogenic risks (CR) values were acceptable for consumers. However, the pollution load index (PLI) of the studied area was below 1, which indicates low deterioration of the area. Geoaccumulation index (Igeo) and contamination factor (CF) analyses revealed that study area is unpolluted and sludge is enriched with metals in the following order: Mn > Zn > Cu > Cr > Cd > Hg > Pb > As.

Heavy Metals in Four Marine Fish and Shrimp Species from a Subtropical Coastal Area: Accumulation and Consumer Health Risk Assessment

“…From the comparison in Table 2 , it was observed that the examined fish ( L. bata , P. fuscus , and S. panijus ) had higher concentrations of Pb than other fish in Bangladesh [ 12 , 20 , 21 , 22 ]. Although Sultana et al [ 1 ] recorded higher Pb in P. monodon than the present study, Pb was found to be lower in other shellfish, e.g., Macrobrachium rosenbergii , Metapenaeus dobsoni , P. sculptilis , and P. versicolor [ 5 , 22 ]. However, Pb, in all of the examined fish and shrimp of this study, exceeded the guideline for Bangladesh (0.3 µg/g for fish and 0.5 µg/g for shellfish) [ 24 ].…”

“…Toxic metals, mainly heavy metals, pose a serious threat worldwide due to their accumulative properties, inherent persistence, non-biodegradability, and harmful effects. [ 1 ]. Fish and shellfish are considered to be the most frequent bioindicators for monitoring contaminants such as heavy metals (e.g., Cd, Cr, and Pb) due to their higher position in the aquatic food chain.…”

“…Much research has been carried out to evaluate the levels of heavy metals in fish and the risk of human exposure [ 5 , 14 , 15 , 16 ]. In addition, several studies have looked into heavy-metal contamination and pollution load estimation in shrimp from the island of Saint Martin [ 10 , 17 ], the Khuln-Satkhira region [ 18 ], and Cox’s Bazar region [ 1 ] in Bangladesh. However, published reports concerning toxic-heavy-metal contamination and the associated health risks through the consumption of L. bata , P. fuscus , S. panijus , and P. monodon from the central coast of Bangladesh are scant.…”

Heavy Metals Accumulation in Tissues of Wild and Farmed Barramundi from the Northern Bay of Bengal Coast, and Its Estimated Human Health Risks

“…CR values lower than 10 −6 show that the exposure of metals is negligible. In contrast, values above 10 −4 indicate that the CR exposure is severe [ 31 , 71 , 72 , 73 ]. In our analysis, the CR values of cultured and wild Barramundi fish showed no carcinogenic risk as all the values were below 10 −6 .…”

Environmental and Health Risks Posed by Heavy Metal Contamination of Groundwater in the Sunan Coal Mine, China

“…Heavy metal pollution has a serious impact on human health [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]. As and Mn constitute the majority of heavy metal pollutants in groundwater and have received ample attention in research over the past few decades in many countries around the world [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ].…”