Department of Fisheries Technology, Faculty of Fisheries, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Dumki, Patuakhali, 8602, Bangladesh.
Department of Food Microbiology, Faculty of Nutrition and Food Science, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Dumki, Patuakhali, 8602, Bangladesh.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2022 Mar;29(14):20112-20127. doi: 10.1007/s11356-021-17127-9. Epub 2021 Nov 2.
The chemical contaminants in dried fish are of great food safety concern and an emerging public health issue in Bangladesh. The aim of this study was to assess the public health risk associated with exposure to pesticides (organochlorine and organophosphorus) and heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium, arsenic) through the consumption of dried fish (Bombay duck, ribbon fish, silver jewfish, shrimp, Chinese promfret) in coastal districts (Cox's Bazar, Chittagong, Bhola, Patuakhali, Khulna) of Bangladesh. Dried fish consumption data were collected from 500 adult respondents (100 from each district) using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Pesticide residues were determined using QuEChERS extraction coupled to gas chromatography and gas chromatography mass spectrometry, and heavy metals were estimated using an atomic absorption spectrophotometric method. The results revealed that the frequency and amount of dried fish consumption was highest for Bombay duck in Cox's Bazar (11.57 g/capita/day) and ribbon fish (12.10 g/capita/day) in Chittagong. The estimated daily intake (EDI, 7.40 × 10 to 1.10 × 10 mg/kg/day) and health risk index (HRI, 0.013 to 0.16) values expressed no health risk from pesticide residues in all the positive samples. For heavy metals, target hazard quotients (THQ) for non-carcinogenic health risk were below 1 (0.001-0.154), indicating no health risk for all samples. However, carcinogenic risk R value indicated a potential health risk for chromium (2.64 × 10 to 4.06 × 10), and carcinogenic R value (2.82 × 10 to 5.71 × 10) indicated a potential health risk for all the metals. It is concluded that the risk of exposure to pesticides through the consumption of dried fish is low, while heavy metals pose moderate-to-high health risks to dried fish consumers in the study area. Thus, the study suggests an appropriate risk management policy that controls pesticides and heavy metals in dried fish to ensure safe food for local and global consumers, underpinned by a producers' capacity building and consumers' awareness raising strategy.
干鱼中的化学污染物对食品安全构成重大威胁，是孟加拉国一个新出现的公共卫生问题。本研究旨在评估通过食用干鱼（包括斑鰶、带鱼、银鲳鱼、虾和中国鲳）而接触农药（有机氯和有机磷）和重金属（铅、汞、镉、铬、砷）对沿海地区（包括考克斯巴扎尔、吉大港、博里萨尔、巴图阿拉和库尔纳）民众健康造成的风险。通过食物频率问卷（FFQ），从 500 名成年受访者（每个地区 100 名）中收集了干鱼食用数据。使用 QuEChERS 提取法结合气相色谱和气相色谱-质谱联用仪测定了农药残留量，使用原子吸收分光光度法估算了重金属含量。结果表明，在考克斯巴扎尔，斑鰶的食用频率和食用量最高（11.57g/人/天），在吉大港，带鱼的食用频率和食用量最高（12.10g/人/天）。在所有阳性样本中，农药残留的估计每日摄入量（EDI，7.40×10 到 1.10×10 毫克/千克/天）和健康风险指数（HRI，0.013 到 0.16）值表明不存在健康风险。对于重金属，非致癌健康风险的目标危害系数（THQ）均低于 1（0.001 到 0.154），表明所有样本均不存在健康风险。然而，致癌风险 R 值表明铬存在潜在健康风险（2.64×10 到 4.06×10），而所有金属的致癌风险 R 值（2.82×10 到 5.71×10）表明存在潜在健康风险。研究结论认为，通过食用干鱼接触农药的风险较低，而重金属对研究地区的干鱼消费者构成了中到高度的健康风险。因此，本研究建议采取适当的风险管理政策，控制干鱼中的农药和重金属，确保当地和全球消费者的食品安全，并辅之以生产者能力建设和消费者意识提高战略。
