Bioaccessibility of heavy metals in rapa whelk Rapana venosa

Gedik, Kenan/0000-0001-8244-6935WOS: 000419885700014Instead of total metal concentration measurements in seafood, bioaccessibility is a more important parameter for human health risk assessment. Therefore, bioaccessibility of Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn in the edible soft tissues of rapa whelk (Rapana venosa Valenciennes, 1846) collected along the southern Black Sea coast were investigated using an in vitro digestion model. Zn was detected at the highest concentration, whereas Ni was the lowest for total metal concentrations. Total Cd and Pb concentration in the tissues were found to be higher than maximum permissible limits set by European Commission. the bioaccessibility of metals in the tissues was found to be decreased in the order: Cu (77.11%) > Cd (70.13%) > Zn (64.52%) > Ni (61.27%) > Pb (50.53%) > Cr (43.41%) > Mn (22.59%). While significant positive linear regressions were observed between the total and bioaccessible concentrations for Mn, Pb, and Ni, significant negative linear regressions were found for Cd in the tissues (p < 0.05). the hazard quotients (HQ) calculated using bioaccessible heavy metal amount were detected lower than the limit value (HQ < 1), which may not pose a potential hazard to humans declared by US Environmental Protection Agency. However, the consumption of rapa whelk may cause a potential risk concerning human health for the Cd and Pb levels in case of increased serving sizes and portions.Recep Tayyip Erdogan UniversityRecep Tayyip Erdogan University [FBA-2016-594]; Scientific and Technological Research Council of TurkeyTurkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [113Y148]This work was supported by the Research Fund of Recep Tayyip Erdogan University (Project Number: FBA-2016-594). the samples used in this study were obtained from the project (CAYDAG, Project No: 113Y148) supported by Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey