Copper intake and health threat by consuming seafood from copper-contaminated coastal environments in Taiwan

Journal Article · Sun May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1994 · Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.5620130512· OSTI ID:7265487

Han, B C ^[1]; Jeng, W L; Hung, T C ^[2]; Jeng, M S ^[3]

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1. Taipei Medical Coll. (Taiwan, Province of China). School of Public Health
2. National Taiwan Univ., Taipei (Taiwan, Province of China). Inst. of Oceanography
3. Academia Sinica, Taipei (Taiwan, Province of China). Inst. of Zoology

The purpose of this paper is to describe the impact of copper pollution on the main aquaculture coast of Taiwan and the potential risk from eating the green oysters cultured along the polluted coast. The data show that the highest average concentration of copper in oysters was observed in the Erhjin Chi estuary from 1986 to 1990. The copper concentration in both the seawater and the sediment collected along the Erhjin Chi estuary was also the highest in all sampling locations. Copper concentration in oysters collected from Erhjin Chi, Hsiangshan, and Anping from 1988 to 1990 was, respectively, 61, 29, and 22 times higher than that of 10 years ago. The potential frisk from consuming oysters is relatively higher than that of other seafoods due the high bioaccumulation of oysters. The oysters in the Erhjin Chi estuary had an average concentration of copper of 3,075 [+-] 826 [mu]g/g during the past three years (1988--1990). The average copper intake from oysters for an adult with 70 kg body weight was 12.6 mg/d. The estimate indicated that the average copper intake from the oysters for female individuals is 14 times more than that of international limits. Based on the average value, long-term intake of copper through consumption of oysters cultured along the Erhjin Chi estuary be critical, especially for some high-risk groups.

• OSTI ID: 7265487
• Journal Information: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry; (United States), Vol. 13:5; ISSN 0730-7268
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
COPPER
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
ESTUARIES
WATER POLLUTION
FOOD CHAINS
CONTAMINATION
OYSTERS
TAIWAN
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
ASIA
CHINA
ELEMENTS
INVERTEBRATES
ISLANDS
METALS
MOLLUSCS
POLLUTION
SURFACE WATERS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
540320* - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
560300 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology