Butyltin compounds in sediment and biota from the lagoon of Bizerte (northern Tunisia): Potential risk for consumers?

• Published in: Human and ecological risk assessment 2016-02, Vol.22 (2), p.337-349
• Main Authors: Abidli, Sami, Lahbib, Youssef, González, Pablo Rodríguez, Alonso, José Ignacio García, Trigui El Menif, Najoua
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal behavior; Bivalvia; Bizerte lagoon; Boops boops; butyltins; Cerastoderma glaucum; Chlamys; Consumers; Decapoda; Diplodus sargus; Fish; Gastropoda; Health risk assessment; Hexaplex trunculus; Human; Lagoons; Mollusks; non-cancer hazard quotient; Pinna nobilis; Risk; Ruditapes decussatus; Seafood; Sediments; Serranus scriba; Shrimps; Spicara smaris; tolerable average residue levels; Trachinus; Trachurus; Tunisia
• ISSN: 1549-7860; 1080-7039; 1549-7860
• DOI: 10.1080/10807039.2015.1064761

Levels of butyltins (BTs) were monitored in sediment samples and in seven fish species (Boops boops, Diplodus sargus, Sarpa salpa, Serranus scriba, Spicara smaris, Trachurus draco , and Trachinus mediterraneus), five bivalve species (Cerastoderma glaucum, Chlamys flexuosa, Mytilus galloprovincialis, Pinna nobilis , and Ruditapes decussatus), two gastropod species (Bolinus brandaris and Hexaplex trunculus), cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis), and shrimp (Penaeus notialis), most of which are commonly consumed in Tunisia. Samples were collected from Bizerte lagoon during March 2012. Average concentrations of total BTs found in sediment and the muscle of fishes, bivalves, gastropods, cuttlefish, and shrimp were 17.7, 11.5, 31.8, 36.9, 8.1, and 9.4 ng Sn g ⁻¹ dw, respectively. The calculation of tolerable average residue levels and non-cancer hazard quotient for tributyltin (TBT) showed that daily exposure of these seafood to TBT is unlikely to cause any deleterious effects to humans, thus indicating that consumers may not be at risk through the inclusion of these species in their regular diet.