RESIDUAL LEVELS OF ORGANOCHLORINE PESTICIDES AND HEAVY METALS IN SHELLFISH FROM EGYPT WITH ASSESSMENT OF HEALTH RISKS

Abstract

This study investigated the levels of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and heavy metal residues in shellfish (shrimp, oyster and crab) collected from three Egyptian governorates (Ismailia, Damietta and Alexandria). Levels of 12 OCPs such as hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), aldrin, endrin and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs) residues were determined. The dominant detected OCPs were β-HCH, p,p-DDE and endrin. The contamination pattern of OCPs was in the order of other OCPs (HCB, heptachlor, heptachlor-epoxide, aldrin, endrin and γ chlordane) > HCHs > DDTs. Residual levels of some heavy metals and trace elements were also estimated. The highest residual levels of OCPs and heavy metals were found in oysters collected from Damietta. The health risk assessment was determined by calculating hazard ratio and hazard index. Concentrations of OCPs and heavy metals in examined shellfish were below the maximum residual level set by United States Food and Drug Administration and FAO. Therefore, shellfish collected from these studied sites could be considered safe for human consumption. Key words: organochlorine pesticides; heavy metals; shellfish; health risks; Egypt RAVNI PREOSTANKOV ORGANOKLORINSKIH PESTICIDOV IN TEŽKIH KOVIN V LUPINARJIH IZ EGIPTA IN OCENA ZDRAVSTVENIH TVEGANJ V tej raziskavi smo proučevali ravni organokloriranih pesticidov (OCP) in ostankov težkih kovin v lupinarjih (kozice, ostrige in rakovice), zbranih iz treh egiptovskih provinc (Ismajlija, Damietta in Aleksandrija). Določene so bile vrednosti 12 OCP-jev, kot so heksaklorocikloheksani (HCH), aldrin, endrin in diklorodifeniltrikloroetani (DDT). Prevladujoči odkriti OCP-ji so bili β-HCH, p,p-DDE in endrin. Vzorec kontaminacije OCP je bil v vrstnem redu drugih OCP-jev (HCB, heptaklor, heptaklor-epoksid, aldrin, endrin in γ klordan) > HCHs > DDT. Ocenjeni so bili tudi ostanki nekaterih težkih kovin in elementov v sledovih. Največje preostale količine OCP-jev in težkih kovin so bile najdene v ostrigah, zbranih v provinci Damietta. Ocena tveganja za zdravje je bila določena z izračunom razmerja nevarnosti in indeksa nevarnosti. Koncentracije OCP-jev in težkih kovin v pregledanih školjkah so bile pod najvišjo stopnjo preostankov, ki so jo določile Združene države Amerike za prehrano in zdravila ter FAO. Zato bi bili lupinarji, proučeni v tej raziskavi, varni za prehrano ljudi. Ključne besede: organoklorirani pesticidi; težke kovine; lupinarji; tveganje za zdravje; Egipt