Renata Amodio-Cocchieri

Estrogen-like activity of seafood related to environmental chemical contaminants

BackgroundA wide variety of environmental pollutants occur in surface waters, including estuarine and marine waters. Many of these contaminants are recognised as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) which can adversely affect the male and female reproductive system by binding the estrogen receptor and exhibiting hormone-like activities. In this study the estrogenic activity of extracts of edible marine organisms for human consumption from the Mediterranean Sea was assayed.MethodsMarine organisms were collected in two different areas of the Mediterranean Sea. The estrogenic activity of tissues was assessed using an in vitro yeast reporter gene assay (S. cerevisiae RMY 326 ER-ERE). Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) (congeners 28, 52, 101, 118, 138, 153, 180) in fish tissue was also evaluated.ResultsThirty-eight percent of extracts showed a hormone-like activity higher than 10% of the activity elicited by 10 nM 17b-estradiol (E2) used as control.Total PCB concentrations ranged from 0.002 up to 1.785 ng/g wet weight. Chemical analyses detected different levels of contamination among the species collected in the two areas, with the ones collected in the Adriatic Sea showing concentrations significantly higher than those collected in the Tyrrhenian Sea (p < 0.01).ConclusionThe more frequent combination of chemicals in the samples that showed higher estrogenic activity was PCB 28, PCB 101, PCB 153, PCB 180.The content of PCBs and estrogenic activity did not reveal any significant correlation.

Survey of lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic in seafood purchased in Campania, Italy

Lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic were surveyed in fresh catch, farmed and frozen marine fish, cephalopods and mussels marketed in Campania (Italy), and the populations weekly intake from seafood was assessed. A total of 162 specimens of fish and cephalopods and 30 pools of mussels were analyzed. Pb levels in fresh catch species ranged between <20 and 689 ng/g; in farmed from <20 to 438 ng/g and in frozen from <20 to 541 ng/g. Cd values ranged in fresh catch seafood from <0.8 to 19.8 ng/g; in farmed from <0.8 to 42.3 ng/g; in frozen from <0.8 to 93.1. Hg levels ranged 8–339 ng/g in wild seafood; <5–226 ng/g in farmed and <5–313 ng/g in frozen. In fresh catch seafood, As values ranged <10–231 ng/g; in farmed from 12–310 ng/g and in frozen 12–272 ng/g. Cd and Hg concentrations were below the EU limits in all species; two samples of farmed European seabass and two frozen samples exceeded EU limits for Pb. The median weekly dietary intake could affect the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) of Pb by 2% (range 0.5–16.5%), Cd PTWI by 0.9% (range 0.1–8.0%), Hg PTWI by 9.6% (range 0.6–41.0%) and the As PTWI by 3.6% (range 0.4–12.5%). Considering the upper values in the ranges, seafood represents a non-negligible contribution to Pb weekly intake (16.5%), but mainly to the weekly intake of Hg (41.0%) for high seafood consumers and those consuming the most contaminated species.

Multipathway polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and pyrene exposure among children living in Campania (Italy)

Multipathway exposure to Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and Pyrene (Py) was studied among children ages 7–9 living in two areas of the Campania Region (South-Italy) classified as urban and rural. During five consecutive days PAHs and Py were detected in air samples from outdoors, indoors (school and home), individuals at inhalatory levels, and in food and beverages (defined as food) consumed daily by each child. 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) was detected in childrens urine. Gender, weight and height of each subject were recorded, and the personal Body Mass Index (BMI) calculated. The type of home heating, the presence of smokers and the number of cigarettes smoked at home was determined. Total PAH and Py median concentrations in outdoor air from urban areas were 1.70 ng m−3 and 0.19 ng m−3, respectively while in rural areas they were 1.10 ng m−3 and 0.14 ng m−3. Indoor air total PAH and Py median concentrations were 2.50 ng m−3 and 0.15 ng m−3, respectively for urban areas, and 4.10 ng m−3 and 0.15 ng m−3 for rural areas. In food the total PAH and Py median levels were 10.44 and 0.81 μg Kg−1 in urban areas and 18.90 and 0.90 μg Kg−1 in rural areas. The median urinary levels of 1-OHP for urban and rural children were 0.07 and 0.06 μmol/mol creat., respectively. From these data, food appears to be the most relevant source of exposure to PAHs and Py. The Py intake from single (food or air) or total (food and air) pathways did not significantly correlate with the urinary 1-OHP excreted daily for each child during all 5 days of observation.

Evaluation of benzene exposure in children living in Campania (Italy) by urinary trans, trans-muconic acid assay

The urinary benzene metabolite trans,trans

Evaluation of the selenium content of the traditional Italian diet

Food samples and ready-made meals from the traditional Italian-type diet were analysed for selenium content. The average Se content varied in food samples from 7 micrograms/kg w/w (fresh fruit) to 226 micrograms/kg w/w (fish). The highest average contents were obtained in the animal products and in legumes. Among ready-made foods the animal derived dishes were the richest in Se, representing 78% of the estimated total daily dietary intake of Se. The average daily dietary intake of selenium for Italian people is estimated to be 50.9 +/- 29.8 micrograms Se/day when results obtained on complete meals are used, while it is 45.0 +/- 30.8 micrograms Se/day when results on foods and statistical data on consumption are used.

Organochlorine pesticide residues in fish from southern Italian rivers

Extensive use of pesticides in agricultural and municipal fields contributed all over the world to an effective increase of production and to a limitation of the vector injuries to health. However the large quantities of synthetic chemical products employed to achieve these purposes have resulted in an extended environmental pollution, especially worrying about the organochlorine insecticides that are very persistent and suspected of carcinogenicity. For these reasons, this group of pesticides has been banned or strongly restricted in many countries including Italy, where just Lindane and Endosulfan are now allowed in agriculture, representing only 7% of the annual use of synthetic pesticides. In order to control the amount of contamination of surface water from organochlorine pesticides, some surveys were carried out in northern and central Italy, but information regarding situation in southern Italy is not available. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the occurrence and the magnitude of chlorinated pesticide aquatic pollution in southern Italy by the analysis of some permanent freshwater fish species.

Assessment of the dietary habits and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure in primary school children

Thirty Italian children, 7–9 year aged, living in Naples were investigated on their dietary habits and on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure by a food diary-questionnaire and one week duplicate diet sample analyses. Daily total food consumption mean value was 632 ± 215 g day−1, median value 613 g day−1. The daily energy intake and the diet composition meanly agreed with the official guidelines for the Italian children. Sixteen PAHs were simultaneously detected and, according to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) approach, benzo[a]pyrene; benzo[a]pyrene + chrysene (PAH2); PAH2 + benz[a]anthracene + benzo[b]fluoranthene (PAH4); PAH4 + benzo[k]fluoranthene + benzo[ghi]perylene + dibenz[a, h]anthracene + indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene (PAH8) were considered in evaluating the childrens dietary exposure to PAHs. The benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) median concentrations in foods varied from 0.06 to 0.33 µg kg−1. Only three samples of cooked foods (one fish and two meat samples) exceeded legal limits fixed by the European Union for BaP. Daily median intakes of benzo[a]pyrene, PAH2, PAH4, and PAH8 were 153; 318; 990; 1776 ng day−1; their median exposure values were 5; 10; 28; 54 ng kg−1 bw day−1. The Margins of Exposure (MOEs) in median consumers agreed with the EFSA safety values except for PAH8.

The occurrence of Bacillus cereus in fast foods

The rate and the level of contamination by Bacillus cereus in various fast foods were investigated. The strains isolated were differentiated by DNA digestion with restriction enzymes and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). A total of 90 single servings of foods were purchased in 16 restaurants, cafeterias and buffets in Naples (Italy). Ten samples (11.1%) resulted in contamination by B. cereus. The contamination levels ranged from 103 to 105 cfu g-1. The most contaminated foods were the fish dishes (21.4%), with counts ranging between 104 and 105 cfu g-1. Such rate of contamination is noticeably lower than those reported in other countries. The genomic typing obtained by the PFGE of the restriction digests showed the existence of a high polymorphism also in the B. cereus strains isolated from different ready-to-eat foods purchased together in the same restaurant.

Alkyltins in farmed fish and shellfish.

A study to update dibutyltin (DBT) and tributyltin (TBT) residues in farmed fish and shellfish (Mytilus edulis) was carried out 4 years after the adopting of the restricting regulation of the antifouling uses of organotins in Italy. DBT and TBT were simultaneously extracted from farmed fish and shellfish (M. edulis) and from free living specimens, used as control, purchased from retail stores or fishermen in the province of Naples (Italy), and detected using a capillary gas chromatograph equipped with a flame photometric detector (GC-FPD). Dosable amounts of DBT were found in the 10% of the farmed fish analyzed, ranging from 1 to 26 μ g kg−1 wet wt (mean 10 μ g kg−1) and in the 23% of the free living fish at an average level of 2 μ g kg−1 wet wt (range 1–4 μ g kg−1 wet wt). TBT was detected in 85% of the farmed fish, in concentrations varying from 2 to 260 μ g kg−1 wet wt (mean 28 μ g kg−1 wet wt) and in 46% of the free living specimens (mean 39 μ g kg−1 wet wt; range 1–93 μ g kg−1). All the mussel samples analyzed were polluted by both DBT and TBT. In the farmed mussels the average amounts of DBT and TBT were, respectively, 4 and 2 μ g kg−1 wet wt; in the free living they were 4 and 5 μ g kg−1 wet wt, respectively. The results indicate that the DBT and TBT contamination is as highly diffuse in farmed as in free living fish and mussels on sale in retail markets in Naples province even if the levels of the contamination are meanly quite low.A study to update dibutyltin (DBT) and tributyltin (TBT) residues in farmed fish and shellfish (Mytilus edulis) was carried out 4 years after the adopting of the restricting regulation of the antifouling uses of organotins in Italy. DBT and TBT were simultaneously extracted from farmed fish and shellfish (M. edulis) and from free living specimens, used as control, purchased from retail stores or fishermen in the province of Naples (Italy), and detected using a capillary gas chromatograph equipped with a flame photometric detector (GC-FPD). Dosable amounts of DBT were found in the 10% of the farmed fish analyzed, ranging from 1 to 26 micrograms kg-1 wet wt (mean 10 micrograms kg-1) and in the 23% of the free living fish at an average level of 2 micrograms kg-1 wet wt (range 1-4 micrograms kg-1 wet wt). TBT was detected in 85% of the farmed fish, in concentrations varying from 2 to 260 micrograms kg-1 wet wt (mean 28 micrograms kg-1 wet wt) and in 46% of the free living specimens (mean 39 micrograms kg-1 wet wt; range 1-93 micrograms kg-1). All the mussel samples analyzed were polluted by both DBT and TBT. In the farmed mussels the average amounts of DBT and TBT were, respectively, 4 and 2 micrograms kg-1 wet wt; in the free living they were 4 and 5 micrograms kg-1 wet wt, respectively. The results indicate that the DBT and TBT contamination is as highly diffuse in farmed as in free living fish and mussels on sale in retail markets in Naples province even if the levels of the contamination are meanly quite low.