Occurrence, bioconcentration, and human health risks of pharmaceuticals in biota in the Sea of Marmara, Türkiye.

The presence, bioconcentration, and health risk via seafood consumption of 11 pharmaceutical compounds belonging to different therapeutic groups (anti-inflammatory, antiepileptic, lipid regulators, and hormones) were investigated in the muscle tissues of fish and the meat of shrimp in the Sea of Marmara. Six biota species (Merlangius merlangus, Trachurus meditterraneus, Serranus hepatus, Pomatomus saltatrix, Parapenaeus longirostris, Spratus sprattus) were collected from the five stations in October and April 2019. Ultrasonic extraction method followed by solid phase extraction was used for extraction of pharmaceutical compounds from biota samples and then analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography. Of the 11 compounds, 10 were detected in biota species. Ibuprofen was the most frequently detected pharmaceutical in the biota tissues at high concentrations (<3.0-1225 ng/g, dw). The other widely detected compounds were fenoprofen (<3.6-323 ng/g, dw), gemfibrozil (<3.2-480 ng/g, dw), 17α-ethynylestradiol (<2.0-462 ng/g, dw), and carbamazepine (<7.6-222 ng/g, dw). The bioconcentration factors of the selected pharmaceuticals calculated in various aquatic organisms ranged from 9 to 2324 L/kg. The estimated daily intakes of anti-inflammatories, antiepileptics, lipid regulators, and hormones via seafood consumption were 0.37-568, 1.1-324, 8.5-197, 3-340 ng/kg bw. Day, respectively. Based on hazard quotients, estrone, 17β-estradiol, and 17α-ethynylestradiol may pose a health risk to humans through the consumption of this seafood.