Metals and co-presence of other pollutants in mussels (Perna perna) around Algoa Bay: Human consumption safety concerns.

Elevated metal concentrations can become harmful to marine organisms and to humans that consume them. Metal concentrations at multiple sites around Algoa Bay, South Africa, were last investigated in the 1980s. We collected wild brown mussels (Perna perna) from seven sites around Algoa Bay, and quantified metallic elements using ICPMS. Metallic element concentrations differed significantly among the sampling sites and correlated with pollution sources at specific sites. The concentration of Pb in mussels at one site slightly exceeded South African limits. Based on the South African estimated daily intake, the target hazard quotient, and South African metal limits, mussels from Algoa Bay are safe for human consumption, except possibly from one site. However, combined with data on bisphenols and benzophenone UV filters in P. perna from the same sites, we suggest a possible health concern to consumers.

Occurrence of bisphenols and benzophenone UV filters in wild brown mussels (Perna perna) from Algoa Bay in South Africa.

Bisphenols and benzophenone UV filters are contaminants present in a wide variety of plastic materials and consumer products. The scientific attention towards these contaminants has increased in recent years due to their presence in microplastics, their ubiquitous occurrence in the environment, and their known endocrine disrupting health effects. In this study, the occurrence of nine bisphenol and five benzophenone UV-filter analogues was assessed in wild brown mussels (Perna perna) collected from different sampling sites along the coast of Algoa Bay, South Africa. Eleven out of fourteen target analytes were detected, and bisphenol AP (BPAP) was detected for the first time in mussels, presenting the highest median concentration of 150 ng g-1 dry weight (d.w.) and a detection frequency of 91%. Regarding benzophenone UV-filters, median concentrations of the analogues (across all sites) ranged from 2.01 to 10.6 ng g-1 d.w., with benzophenone-1 (BzP-1) and benzophenone-3 (BzP-3) presenting the highest concentrations. Human exposure was assessed by estimating daily intakes (EDI) of the target analytes through mussel consumption. To our knowledge, this is the first study from the African continent on the occurrence of bisphenols and benzophenone UV-filters in a large population (n=138) of wild brown mussels.