From Mangrove to Fork: Metal Presence in the Guayas Estuary (Ecuador) and Commercial Mangrove Crabs
| Type | Article | ||||||||||||
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| Date | 2021-08 | ||||||||||||
| Language | English | ||||||||||||
| Author(s) | de Cock Andrée 1, de Troyer Niels1, Eurie Marie Anne Forio1, Garcia Arevalo Isabel1, 2, Van Echelpoel Wout1, Jacxsens Liesbeth3, Luca Stijn4, Du Laing Gijs5, Tack Filip5, Dominguez Granda Luis6, Goethals Peter L. M.1 |
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| Affiliation(s) | 1 : Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium 2 : Laboratoire de Biogéochimie des Contaminants Métalliques, Ifremer, Centre Atlantique, CEDEX 3, 44311 Nantes, France 3 : Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium 4 : Department of Data Analysis and Mathematical Modelling, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium 5 : Department of Applied Analytical and Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium 6 : Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemáticas, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral ESPOL, Campus Gustavo Galindo, 090112 Guayaquil, Ecuador |
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| Source | Foods (2304-8158) (MDPI AG), 2021-08 , Vol. 10 , N. 8 , P. 1880 (18p.) | ||||||||||||
| DOI | 10.3390/foods10081880 | ||||||||||||
| WOS© Times Cited | 7 | ||||||||||||
| Note | This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights into Food Contamination: Harmful Toxins and Chemicals | ||||||||||||
| Keyword(s) | risk assessment, environmental evaluation, consumer health | ||||||||||||
| Abstract | Mangrove wetlands provide essential ecosystem services such as coastal protection and fisheries. Metal pollution due to industrial and agricultural activities represents an issue of growing concern for the Guayas River Basin and related mangroves in Ecuador. Fisheries and the related human consumption of mangrove crabs are in need of scientific support. In order to protect human health and aid river management, we analyzed several elements in the Guayas Estuary. Zn, Cu, Ni, Cr, As, Pb, Cd, and Hg accumulation were assessed in different compartments of the commercial red mangrove crab Ucides occidentalis (hepatopancreas, carapax, and white meat) and the environment (sediment, leaves, and water), sampled at fifteen sites over five stations. Consistent spatial distribution of metals in the Guayas estuary was found. Nickel levels in the sediment warn for ecological caution. The presence of As in the crabs generated potential concerns on the consumers’ health, and a maximum intake of eight crabs per month for adults is advised. The research outcomes are of global importance for at least nine Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The results presented can support raising awareness about the ongoing contamination of food and their related ecosystems and the corresponding consequences for environmental and human health worldwide |
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