Balancing the Risks and the Benefits of Seafood Consumption in Bermuda
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This article was downloaded by: [Canadian Research Knowledge Network] On: 30 September 2008 Access details: Access Details: [subscription number 783016891] Publisher Taylor & Francis Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~content=t713599661 Balancing the risks and the benefits of local fish consumption in Bermuda É. Dewailly ab; P. Rouja c; R. Dallaire a; D. Pereg a; T. Tucker d; J. Ward c; J. P. Weber b; J. S. Maguire a; P. Julien a a Public Health Research Unit, Laval University Research Centre-CHUL-CHUQ, Québec, Canada b Institut National de Santé Publique du Québec, Québec, Canada c Department of Conservation Services, Government of Bermuda, Bermuda d Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute, Bermuda First Published on: 25 September 2008 To cite this Article Dewailly, É., Rouja, P., Dallaire, R., Pereg, D., Tucker, T., Ward, J., Weber, J. P., Maguire, J. S. and Julien, P.(2008)'Balancing the risks and the benefits of local fish consumption in Bermuda',Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A, To link to this Article: DOI: 10.1080/02652030802175285 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02652030802175285 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Full terms and conditions of use: http://www.informaworld.com/terms-and-conditions-of-access.pdf This article may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, re-distribution, re-selling, loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material. Food Additives and Contaminants 2008, 1–11, iFirst Balancing the risks and the benefits of local fish consumption in Bermuda E´ . Dewaillyad*, P. Roujab, R. Dallairea, D. Perega, T. Tuckerc, J. Wardb, J.P. Weberd, J.S. Maguirea and P. Juliena aPublic Health Research Unit, Laval University Research Centre-CHUL-CHUQ, Que´bec, Canada; bDepartment of Conservation Services, Government of Bermuda, Bermuda; cBermuda Underwater Exploration Institute, Bermuda; dInstitut National de Sante´ Publique du Que´bec, Que´bec, Canada (Received 14 February 2008; final version received 1 May 2008) Fish consumption today is widely recognized as highly beneficial since it constitutes a good source of several essential nutrients, such as selenium and polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA). However, fish can also contain contaminants such as mercury, which make the consumer, especially pregnant women, confused about the risk–benefit balance associated with fish consumption. This is particularly true for tropical fish species for which little information is available. We have previously reported that some Bermudian neonates had elevated mercury in their umbilical blood compared with international guidelines. The objective of this study was to give precise and balanced information on the content of mercury, selenium and PUFA in the most consumed fish species in Bermuda. In 2003 and 2006, a total of 307 fish were collected from 43 fish species and 351 samples were analysed (305 flesh samples, 44 liver samples, one roe and one fat sample) by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) (metals) and high-resolution gas chromatography (HRGC) (fatty acids). Results show 1 that mercury varies among species from 0.03 to 3.3 mggÀ and that it is possible for at-risk groups such as pregnant women to make informed choices concerning fish consumption, e.g. maximizing fish species rich in nutrients and low in mercury. Keywords: fish consumption; tropical; mercury; selenium; omega-3 Introduction Despite the fact that n-3 fatty acids can be found in Fish is one of the last remaining ‘wild foods’ in the other foods, fish remains the best and richest source diets of Bermuda residents and represents not only a of these nutrients and hence is an important part of a rich source of several unique dietary nutrients, but also healthy diet. Coastal populations have a generally high forms an important part of Bermuda’s cultural identity intake of long-chain PUFAs, the most important as an island nation. Highlighting the benefits and compounds being eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and minimizing the risks from seafood consumption is docosahexanoic acid (DHA). During pregnancy, fish an important part of maintaining this resource’s consumption provides DHA to the mother and the important nutritional and economic contribution to foetus, which is critical in brain and retina develop- Bermuda’s residents. ment (Lauritzen et al. 2004; Hibbeln et al. 2007). Fish consumption today is widely recognized as In addition, fish and seafood are a very good natural Downloaded By: [Canadian Research Knowledge Network] At: 18:33 30 September 2008 highly beneficial since it constitutes a good source source of selenium (Svensson et al. 1992; Leung et al. of several essential nutrients, such as selenium and 2007). Concentrations of this element in foods depend polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA). Several on the local geological composition. It has been health organizations recommend eating fish twice a proposed that selenium may exert an antagonistic week for the general population (Kris-Etherton et al. effect on mercury (Hg) toxicity (World Health 2002; Harris 2004). In fact, fish consumption is Organization (WHO) 1990) and have a mediating recognized as beneficial for brain development (Uauy effect on certain cancers, specifically prostate cancer. et al. 2001) in the foetus and newborn and has been On the other hand, fish may also contain varying demonstrated to be protective against cardiovascular amount of contaminants such as Hg, most of which diseases (He et al. 2004; Wang et al. 2006), mental occurs in the form of methylmercury (MeHg) (over disorders (Logan 2003; Sinclair et al. 2007), and 90%). This phenomenon occurs because fish feed on various inflammatory conditions such as bowel dis- aquatic organisms that contain MeHg originating from ease, asthma, and arthritis (Ruxton et al. 2004). biomethylation of inorganic Hg by microorganisms. *Corresponding author. Email: [email protected] ISSN 0265–203X print/ISSN 1464–5122 online ß 2008 Taylor & Francis DOI: 10.1080/02652030802175285 http://www.informaworld.com 2 E´. Dewailly et al. Hg has always been present in all the world’s oceans Hg measured was in the form of MeHg, pointing as a result of river run off, undersea volcanoes, air toward seafood as the main source of Hg exposure deposition, etc. and has always built up in fish at the during pregnancy in Bermuda. In contrast, persistent top of the food chain. However, in the last century the organic pollutants (POPs) such as polychlorinated industrialization of many countries has resulted in a biphenyls (PCBs) and chlorinated pesticides along with net increase in the load of Hg in the environment, lead were also measured in cord blood, but concen- which consequently is manifest in the world’s fish and trations were very low (Dewailly and Pereg 2004). in those people who consume them. This is not a local For that reason, only Hg was considered of public Bermuda problem but a global one. Coastal people health concern. living in some of the world’s most remote places are Fish consumption was also measured and the in fact finding that their fish are as contaminated as association of Hg levels with fish consumption was fish in industrialized coastal areas. tested using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Fish The amount of MeHg in fish usually correlates with consumption was estimated by the number of meals several factors including the weight and age of the fish, per month that each patient declared eating on a its trophic level and the species. regular basis. Species that were most often consumed Numerous studies have reported that MeHg include wahoo, snapper, tuna and salmon; the present in predator fishes represents a potential consumption of other species seemed anecdotal. health threat for the developing foetus. As this seafood While wahoo and snapper are clearly of local origin, borne contaminant affects the development of the tuna is most often imported. The consumption of local cerebral architecture by perturbing neural cell division fish was analysed separately from that of total fish and migration, the developing nervous system is consumption. Local fish consumption was estimated recognized as the main target (Castoldi et al. 2001; by pooling the number of meals/month of wahoo and Counter and Buchanan 2004). Several prospective snapper that each woman declared eating. Separate cohort studies have reported effects of prenatal analyses were also conducted on each fish specie exposure to MeHg on different domains of cognition separately (salmon, wahoo, snapper, tuna), despite (attention, memory, visuo-spatial performances and the low statistical power of some of these analyses. language) and gross and fine motor development, some A significant association was seen between Hg of which persist well beyond the first years of life concentrations and the consumption of local fish (Grandjean et al. 1997; Steuerwald et al. 2000; Debes (Spearman’s r 0.584, p 0.001, n 40), mainly et al. 2006). In contrast, a large epidemiological study 5 wahoo (r 0.502,¼ p 0.001, n 40)¼ and snapper from the Seychelles Islands did not find any effects on (r 0.499, ¼p 0.001, ¼n 40). The¼ consumption of infant neurodevelopment from chronic MeHg in utero other¼ fish species¼ was not¼ related to Hg content of cord exposure (Myers et al.