Results and Discussion
Shellfish is considered a good indicator for environmental pollution with heavy metals, simply because it can accumulate high levels of these metals. However, these organisms are considered valuable source for animal derived protein, vitamins and essential trace elements, especially for people living nearby sea. Thus, estimating the residual levels of these metals, in particular the toxic ones, assessment of the possible human health risks and trying to find effective reduction strategies of the heavy metal load are major tasks of food and environmental hygienists.
Estimation of heavy metal concentrations and their correlations in the examined shellfish
Lead (Pb)
The results obtained in figure (1A) shows the residual …show more content…
3A) and Clam (Fig. 4B) (r = 0.353 and 0.355, respectively). Additionally, Pb had a positive correlation with Cd in the examined crab (Fig. 3B) (r = 0.315). Furthermore, As had a slight positive correlation with Pb in the crayfish (r = 0.244) (Fig. 4A), and with Cd in the oyster and mussel (r = 0.380 and 0.524) (Fig. 5A, B). Nearly similar findings were reported before between Cd-Hg (Akoto et al., 2014), and Cd-Pb (Darwish et al., 2015). Although the mechanisms behind these interactions are not clear, these correlations might be attributed to induction of metallothionein, a metal-induced detoxifying enzyme (Komsta-Szumska and Chmielnicka, …show more content…
EDI values of Pb in shellfish samples ranged from 0.24 to 0.70; 0.02 to 0.11 in cadmium. Whereas EDI values for As ranged from 0.63 to 1.05 and in Hg ranged from 2.49 to 4.31 (Table 2). It notes worthy, that HR values in case of Pb and Cd did not exceed one. However, it ranged between 2.09 to 3.50 in case of As and between 4.99 and 8.64 in Hg. HI values for the total four toxic metals examined (Pb, Cd, As and Hg) exceeded one in all shellfish examined in this study recording value range of 8.59 to 11.52 (Table
Shellfish is considered a good indicator for environmental pollution with heavy metals, simply because it can accumulate high levels of these metals. However, these organisms are considered valuable source for animal derived protein, vitamins and essential trace elements, especially for people living nearby sea. Thus, estimating the residual levels of these metals, in particular the toxic ones, assessment of the possible human health risks and trying to find effective reduction strategies of the heavy metal load are major tasks of food and environmental hygienists.
Estimation of heavy metal concentrations and their correlations in the examined shellfish
Lead (Pb)
The results obtained in figure (1A) shows the residual …show more content…
3A) and Clam (Fig. 4B) (r = 0.353 and 0.355, respectively). Additionally, Pb had a positive correlation with Cd in the examined crab (Fig. 3B) (r = 0.315). Furthermore, As had a slight positive correlation with Pb in the crayfish (r = 0.244) (Fig. 4A), and with Cd in the oyster and mussel (r = 0.380 and 0.524) (Fig. 5A, B). Nearly similar findings were reported before between Cd-Hg (Akoto et al., 2014), and Cd-Pb (Darwish et al., 2015). Although the mechanisms behind these interactions are not clear, these correlations might be attributed to induction of metallothionein, a metal-induced detoxifying enzyme (Komsta-Szumska and Chmielnicka, …show more content…
EDI values of Pb in shellfish samples ranged from 0.24 to 0.70; 0.02 to 0.11 in cadmium. Whereas EDI values for As ranged from 0.63 to 1.05 and in Hg ranged from 2.49 to 4.31 (Table 2). It notes worthy, that HR values in case of Pb and Cd did not exceed one. However, it ranged between 2.09 to 3.50 in case of As and between 4.99 and 8.64 in Hg. HI values for the total four toxic metals examined (Pb, Cd, As and Hg) exceeded one in all shellfish examined in this study recording value range of 8.59 to 11.52 (Table