Wild fish and seafood species in the western Mediterranean Sea with low safe mercury concentrations

Capodiferro, Marco; Marco, Esther; Grimalt, Joan O.

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120274

Cited by 22 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 98 publications

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“…One reason is that there is a lack of studies exploring the possible relationship between MeHg exposure and the risk of the four diseases described here 52. However, although MeHg concentrations in forage fish (2–110 µg/kg)53 54 are higher than those in the same wet weight of red meat (0.6–5.6 µg/kg),55 they are well below the recommended safe intake limit (500 µg/kg) 54. For example, based on a risk-benefit analysis, Thomsen et al, 9 suggested that pregnant women should consume fewer large predatory fish with high mercury content, such as tuna and swordfish, but no less than 200–350 g of forage fish per week to gain greater health benefits.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Unlocking the potential of forage fish to reduce the global burden of disease

Xia,

Takakura,

Tsuchiya

et al. 2024

BMJ Glob Health

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Red meat consumption is associated with an elevated risk of mortality from non-communicable diseases (NCDs). In contrast, forage fish, as highly nutritious, environmentally friendly, affordable, and the most abundant fish species in the ocean, are receiving increasing interest from a global food system perspective. However, little research has examined the impact of replacing red meat with forage fish in the global diet on diet-related NCDs.MethodsWe based our study on datasets of red meat projections in 2050 for 137 countries and forage fish catches. We replaced the red meat consumption in each country with forage fish (from marine habitats), without exceeding the potential supply of forage fish. We used a comparative risk assessment framework to investigate how such substitutions could reduce the global burden of diet-related NCDs in adults.ResultsThe results of our study show that forage fish may replace only a fraction (approximately 8%) of the world’s red meat due to its limited supply, but it may increase global daily per capita fish consumption close to the recommended level. Such a substitution could avoid 0.5–0.75 million deaths and 8–15 million disability-adjusted life years, concentrated in low- and middle-income countries. Forage fish as an alternative to red meat could double (or more) the number of deaths that could be avoided by simply reducing red meat consumption.ConclusionsOur analysis suggests that forage fish is a promising alternative to red meat. Policies targeting the allocation of forage fish to regions where they are needed, such as the Global South, could be more effective in maximising the potential of forage fish to reduce the global burden of disease.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Unlocking the potential of forage fish to reduce the global burden of disease

Xia,

Takakura,

Tsuchiya

et al. 2024

BMJ Glob Health

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“…Governmental agencies monitor Hg concentration in fish to assess health risks, as they often exceed the reference concentrations of the FAO/WHO and European Commission (Capodiferro et al, 2022, Baeyens et al, 2003, Kerambrun et al, 2013). The average Hg concentration in muscle tissue of the stickleback individuals selected for this study ranged from 22.0 to 326 ng g −1 dry weight (Calboli et al, 2021).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spleen gene expression is associated with mercury content in three-spined stickleback populations

Yadav,

Lamaze,

Shankregowda

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Mercury can be very toxic at low environmental concentrations by impairing immunological, neurological, and other vital pathways in humans and animals. Aquatic ecosystems are heavily impacted by mercury pollution, with evidence of biomagnification through the food web. We examined the effect of mercury toxicity on the spleen, one of the primary immune organs in fish, in natural populations of the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus Linnaeus, 1758). Our aim was to better understand adaptation to high mercury environments by investigating transcriptomic changes in the spleen. Three stickleback populations with mean Hg muscle concentrations above and three populations with mean Hg muscle concentrations below the European Biota Quality Standard of 20 ng/g wet weight were selected from the Scheldt and Meuse basin in Belgium. We then conducted RNA sequencing of the spleen tissue of 22 females from these populations. We identified 136 differentially expressed genes between individuals from populations with high and low mean mercury content. The 129 genes that were upregulated were related to the neurological system, immunological activity, hormonal regulation, and inorganic cation transporter activity. Seven genes were downregulated and were all involved in pre-mRNA splicing. The results are indicative of our ability to detect molecular alterations in natural populations that exceed an important environmental quality standard. This allows us to assess the biological relevance of such standards, offering an opportunity to better describe and manage mercury-associated environmental health risks in aquatic populations.

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“…A total of 1345 specimens were analysed in this study, and it was found that only 13 species (sardines, anchovies, pickerel, salema, blue whiting, black-spot seabream, gilthead seabream, painted comber, brown meagre, surmullet, pearly razorfish, common dolphinfish and squid) had total Hg levels below the EU maximum allowed limit of 0.5 μg g −1 . The authors 228 suggested that if all Hg was present as MeHg then a typical diet would expose consumers to 49% to 70% of the provisional tolerable weekly intake of MeHg. However, it is also mentioned that consumption of fish has many health benefits and consumption of Mediterranean fish is of lower risk that fish from other regions.…”

Section: Applications: Foods and Beveragesmentioning

confidence: 99%