Comparative study of the intake of toxic persistent and semi persistent pollutants through the consumption of fish and seafood from two modes of production (wild-caught and farmed)

Adverse effects of chemical contaminants associated with seafood counteract the undoubted benefits for the health of its valuable nutrients. So much so that many dietary guidelines recommend no more than one serving a week of fish and seafood. Although is estimated that aquaculture provides more than 50% of the fish and seafood consumed globally, few research studies have focused in the assessment of the intake of pollutants through aquaculture products. In this study we determined the levels of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and toxic elements (Pb, Cd, Ni, Al, As, and Hg) in a large sample of farmed and wild-caught seafood, and we estimated the intake of these contaminants in two hypothetical models of consumers: those consuming only farmed fish, and those consuming only wild fish. Measured levels of most organic and many inorganic pollutants were higher in aquaculture products, and consequently intake levels if only such products were consumed would be also significantly higher. Thus, the intake of ∑PAHs in adults consuming aquaculture seafood would be 3.30ng/kg-bw/day, and consuming seafood from extractive fishing 2.41ng/kg-bw/day (p