Metal toxicity risk of commercial cephalopod species and public health concerns

Abstract

Metals in the marine environment threaten aquatic animals and their upper trophic level predators, as they not only jeopardize their well-being but accumulate in their tissues, posing potential health risks. The present study focused on sampling Eledone moschata, Octopus vulgaris, and Illex coindetii from the Marmara, Aegean, and Mediterranean Seas. The study aimed to assess the accumulation levels of aluminum (Al), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) in the mantle, gill, and hepatopancreas tissues. Significant variations in metal accumulation levels were observed depending on the sampled station and tissues. Iron, copper, and zinc exhibited the highest concentrations in the tissues, whereas nickel and cadmium showed the lowest concentrations. The mantle exhibited the lowest metal concentration, whereas the hepatopancreas showed the highest concentration among the studied tissues. Furthermore, a health risk analysis was conducted using the Target Hazard Quotient (THQ) and lifetime cancer risk (CR) assessments. The analysis results indicated no significant health risk associated with the consumption of the studied species from the Marmara Sea, Aegean Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea.