Risks Associated with Dietary Exposure to Contaminants from Foods Obtained from Marine and Fresh Water, Including Aquaculture

TL;DR

This paper discusses the health risks from contaminants in aquatic foods and emphasizes the need for balanced risk-benefit analysis and regulation.

Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive review of contaminants in aquatic foods and their public health implications, emphasizing emerging pollutants like microplastics.

Findings

Contaminants like microplastics and heavy metals in aquatic foods pose public health risks.

Risk-benefit analysis is crucial for promoting fish consumption while managing contaminant exposure.

Regulatory control is needed for emerging contaminants to ensure food safety and environmental sustainability.

Abstract

Public health relevance—How does this work relate to a public health issue?
Fish and other foods produced in aquatic systems can be nutritious, but they are also prone to contain relatively high levels of chemical contaminants.

Fish and other foods produced in aquatic systems can be nutritious, but they are also prone to contain relatively high levels of chemical contaminants.

Public health significance—Why is this work of significance to public health?
Increased aquaculture and recommendations to consume more fish may have an impact on dietary exposure to pollutants and contaminants found in fish and other products produced in these environments.

Increased aquaculture and recommendations to consume more fish may have an impact on dietary exposure to pollutants and contaminants found in fish and other products produced in these environments.

Public health implications—What are the key implications or messages for practitioners, policy makers and/or researchers in public health?
Risk–benefit analysis should support recommendations to consume more fish.Regulatory control should be considered for emerging contaminants such as micro- and nano-plastics.

Risk–benefit analysis should support recommendations to consume more fish.

Regulatory control should be considered for emerging contaminants such as micro- and nano-plastics.

Aquatic environments have been a critical source of nutrition for millennia, with wild fisheries supplying protein and nutrients to populations worldwide. A notable shift has occurred in recent decades with the expansion of aquaculture, now representing a fast-growing sector in food production. Aquaculture plays a key role in mitigating the depletion of wild fish stocks and addressing issues related to overfishing. Despite its potential benefits, the sustainability of both wild and farmed aquatic food systems is challenged by anthropogenic pollution. Contaminants from agricultural runoff, industrial discharges, and domestic effluents enter freshwater systems and eventually reach marine environments, where they may be transported globally through ocean currents. Maintaining water quality is paramount to food safety, environmental integrity, and long-term food security. In addition to conventional seafood products such as fish and shellfish, foods such as those derived from microalgae are gaining attention in Western markets for their high nutritional value and potential functional properties. These organisms have been consumed in Asia for generations and are now being explored as sustainable foods and ingredients as an alternative source of protein. Contaminants in aquatic food products include residues of agrochemicals, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), as well as brominated flame retardants and heavy metals. Public and scientific attention has intensified around plastic pollution, particularly microplastics and nanoplastics, which are increasingly detected in aquatic organisms and are the subject of ongoing toxicological and ecological risk assessments. While the presence of these hazards necessitates robust risk assessment and regulatory oversight, it is important to balance these concerns against the health benefits of aquatic foods, which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, high-quality proteins, vitamins, and trace elements. Furthermore, beyond direct human health implications, the environmental impact of pollutant sources must be addressed through integrated management approaches to ensure the long-term sustainability of aquatic ecosystems and the food systems they support. This review covers regulatory frameworks, risk assessments, and management issues relating to aquatic environments, including the impact of climate change. It aims to serve as a comprehensive resource for researchers, policymakers, food businesses who harvest food from aquatic systems and other stakeholders.

Figures