QUANTIFICATION OF INSECTICIDES IN COMMERCIAL SEAFOOD SOLD IN EAST ASIAN MARKETS: RISK ASSESSMENT FOR CONSUMERS

摘要

THE EXTRACTION OF 21 INSECTICIDES AND 5 METABOLITES WAS PERFORMED USING AN OPTIMIZED AND VALIDATED QUECHERS PROTOCOL THAT WAS FURTHER USED FOR THE QUANTIFICATION (GC–MS/MS) IN SEVERAL SEAFOOD MATRICES (CRUSTACEANS, BIVALVES, AND FISH-MUDSKIPPERS). SEVEN SPECIES, ACQUIRED FROM HONG KONG AND MACAO WET MARKETS (A REGION SO FAR POORLY MONITORED), WERE SELECTED BASED ON THEIR COMMERCIAL IMPORTANCE IN THE INDO-PACIFIC REGION, MARKET ABUNDANCE, AND AFFORDABLE PRICE. AMONG THEM, MUSSELS FROM HONG KONG, TOGETHER WITH MUDSKIPPERS FROM MACAO, PRESENTED THE HIGHEST INSECTICIDE CONCENTRATIONS (MEDIAN VALUES OF 30.33 AND 23.90 NG/G WW, RESPECTIVELY). RESIDUAL LEVELS OF FENOBUCARB, DDTS, HCHS, AND HEPTACHLORS WERE ABOVE THE ESTABLISHED THRESHOLD (10 NG/G WW) FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION ACCORDING TO THE EUROPEAN AND CHINESE LEGISLATIONS: FOR EXAMPLE, IN FISH-MUDSKIPPERS, DDTS, FENOBUCARB, AND HEPTACHLORS (5-, 20- AND TENFOLD, RESPECTIVELY), AND IN BIVALVES, HCHS (FOURFOLD) HAD HIGHER LEVELS THAN THE THRESHOLD. RISK ASSESSMENT REVEALED POTENTIAL HUMAN HEALTH EFFECTS (E.G., NEUROTOXICITY), ESPECIALLY THROUGH FISH AND BIVALVE CONSUMPTION (NON-CARCINOGENIC RISK||ΣHQLT > 1), AND A POTENTIAL CONCERN OF LIFETIME CANCER RISK DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE CONSUMPTION OF FISH, BIVALVES, AND CRUSTACEANS COLLECTED FROM THESE MARKETS (CARCINOGENIC RISK||ΣTCR > 10–4). SINCE THESE RESULTS INDICATE POLLUTED REGIONS, WHERE THE SEAFOOD IS COLLECTED/PRODUCED, A STRICT MONITORING FRAMEWORK SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED IN THOSE AREAS TO IMPROVE FOOD QUALITY AND SAFETY OF SEAFOOD PRODUCTS.