Efficiency of clustering methods and self-organizing maps of Adriatic sardines and anchovies regarding organochlorine and fatty acid burden.

The Adriatic Sea plays a crucial role as both a significant fishing ground and a thriving trading market for small pelagic edible fish. Recognized for their nutritional value, these fish are esteemed for their high protein content and abundance of polyunsaturated omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, making them a sought-after and healthful food choice. Nevertheless, pelagic species can also serve as a reservoir for lipophilic organochlorine pollutants, posing potential risks to human health. In this study, we compared traditional classification methods traditional principal component analysis (PCA) and Ward's clustering with an advanced self-organizing map (SOM) algorithm in determining distribution patterns of 24 organochlorines and 19 fatty acids in sardine and anchovy samples taken from the eastern Adriatic. The outcomes reveal the strengths and weaknesses of the three approaches (PCA, Ward's clustering, and SOM). However, it is evident that SOM has proven to be the most effective in offering detailed information and data visualization. Although sardines and anchovies exhibit similar distribution patterns for p,p'-DDE, PCB-28, PCB-138, PCB-153, PCB-118, and PCB-170, they differ in the concentrations of fatty acids such as stearic, palmitic, myristic, oleic, docosapentaenoic, and docosahexaenoic acid. Our findings supply valuable insights for environmental authorities and fish consumers concerning the potential risks associated with organochlorines in these two types of fish.

Human health risks and benefits assessment based on OCPs, PCBs, toxic elements and fatty acids in the pelagic fish species from the Adriatic Sea.

Benefits and risks of the fish consumption should be assessed to balance the ingestion of healthy omega-3 fatty acids and adverse chemicals. Persistent organic pollutants-POPs (organochlorine pesticides-OCPs and polychlorinated biphenyls-PCB), macro- and micro-elements and fatty acid contents were determined in six fish species from the Adriatic Sea to assess health risks for consumers (worst-case scenario, diseases development risks and benefit-risk). 16 element, 24 POPs and 14 fatty acid contents were determined in six pelagic species which can be used in human diet. Element concentrations were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), POPs by high-resolution gas chromatography and fatty acid content by gas-liquid chromatography. Diet based on chub mackerel and round sardinella showed lower daily intake (DI) of POPs and highest DI of essential omega-3 fatty acids than other investigated species. Lower ingestion of toxic elements can be observed by consuming anchovy and round sardinella. Based on POP concentrations, there was not observed non-carcinogenic (HI) nor carcinogenic (CR) risks for consumers. Based on element concentrations, there was low HI (0.1 ≥ HI ≥ 1), while the maximum HIs and outlier values (horse mackerel and anchovy samples) implied the presence of HI (HI > 1). The most significant contributor to total non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks was inorganic arsenic (inorganic As). Acceptable CR for consumers was assessed, but maximum CR for consumers of horse mackerel and anchovy (CR ≥ 1 × 10-6) showed adverse effects on human health. There were low HIs for developing cardiovascular, nervous, and reproductive diseases, and maximum HIs were higher than 1. Acceptable (1 × 10-4≥CR ≥ 1 × 10-6) risks were observed for developing cancer of nervous system and reproductive organs. Among investigated fish samples, those with higher Æ©BR (benefit-risks) and BR for arsenic (As) than median value have a higher risk than benefits in the human diet.

Dietary Exposure and Risk Assessment of Aflatoxin M1 for Children Aged 1 to 9 Years Old in Serbia.

The present study was conducted to estimate the exposure and characterize the risk for the child population of Serbia to Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) from milk and milk-based food. A total of 3404 samples comprising milk and different milk-based food samples were collected from various regions of Serbia from 2017 to 2019. Evaluation of AFM1 exposure was carried out using the deterministic method, whereas risk characterization was evaluated using the margin of exposure (MOE) and the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Detection rates for AFM1 in milk and milk-based food samples ranged between 2% and 79%, with the highest incidence (79%) and mean level (22.34 ± 0.018 ng kg-1) of AFM1 being detected in pasteurized and UHT milk. According to the three consumption estimates, the values of estimated daily intake (EDI) were higher for toddlers as compared with children aged 3-9 years. Children aged 1-3 years had the highest risk of exposure to AFM1 in milk, with an estimated daily intake of 0.164 and 0.193 ng kg-1 bw day-1 using lower bound (LB) and upper bound (UB) exposure scenarios, respectively. Such difference could result from the higher consumption to weight in younger children. Based on the estimated daily intake (EDI) found in this study, the risk of AFM1 exposure due to consumption of milk and milk-based food was low since the MOE values obtained were >10,000. In addition, the risk of HCC cases/year/105 individuals of different age groups showed that the value of HCC, using potency estimates of 0.0017 (mean), was maximum (0.00034) in the age group 1-3 years, which indicates no health risk for the evaluated groups. The present study revealed the importance of controlling and preventing AFM1 contamination in milk through continuous monitoring and regular inspection to reduce the risk of AFM1 exposure, especially in children.

Canned sea fish marketed in Serbia: their zinc, copper, and iron levels and contribution to the dietary intake.

The aim of this study was to determine the levels of Zn, Cu, and Fe in three canned fish species marketed Serbia to see if they meet recommended daily intake requirements or exceed safety limits. We collected a total of 207 samples of canned tuna, sardine, and mackerel, in oil or tomato sauce and analysed them with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) after acid digestion. The highest levels were obtained for Zn (15.1 mg kg-1) and Cu (1.37 mg kg-1) in sardine in oil and tomato sauce, respectively, and for Fe (18.98 mg kg-1) in mackerel in tomato sauce. Our results keep within the ranges reported by several national food databases and available literature data, with a few exceptions. Our findings also single out canned sardines as the richest source of the three essential elements combined. The estimated daily intake (EDI) of the three essential elements, however, was subpar, and ranged between 0.14 % and 0.72 % of the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for Zn, Cu, and Fe.