Human Health risk assessment associated with the consumption of oysters ( Crassostrea gasar ) in Paranaguá Estuarine System/Brazil and its Salinity gradient as a tool to understand the contaminants assimilation dynamic.

Abstract

Abstract Mollusks are considered one of the main bioindicators of pollution in aquatic environments, however, they are also the basis of food for several communities around the world. In estuaries such as the one monitored in this study, Paranaguá Estuarine Complex, where salinity variation is a relevant point, the bioaccumulation of metals (Al, As, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn and Cd) in Crassostrea gasar oysters was identified in 5 different locations. Additionally, human health risk indexes were calculated from the concentration of metals found in oysters. Oysters were collected from 5 sampling stations along Paranaguá Estuarine System, close to oyster producing communities, natural banks used for extraction and containing large human populations, with potential for high environmental pollution. The oysters (C. gasar) proved effective in the environmental monitoring of these pollutants and emphasized the need for constant monitoring of the estuary, especially regarding As and Zn.