Potential Harmful Effects of Heavy Metals as a toxic and carcinogenic agent in Marine Food-An Overview

Negahdari, Samira; Sabaghan, Mohammad; Pirhadi, Mohadeseh; Alikord, Mahsa; Sadighara, Parisa; Darvishi, Mohammad; Nazer, Mohammadreza

doi:10.21608/ejvs.2021.83716.1245

Potential Harmful Effects of Heavy Metals as a toxic and carcinogenic agent in Marine Food-An Overview

Document Type : Review Artical

Authors

¹ Legal Medicine Research Center, Legal Medicine Organization, Ahvaz, Iran

² Behbahan Faculty of Medical Sciences, Behbahan, Iran

³ Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Division of Food Safety & Hygiene, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

⁴ 3Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Division of Food Safety & Hygiene, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

⁵ 4Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicinal Research Center (IDTMRC), AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IRAN 5Department of Aerospace and Subaquatic Medicine, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IRAN

⁶ 6Faculty of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

10.21608/ejvs.2021.83716.1245

Abstract

The survival of organisms is threatened with a variety of pollutants and chemical compounds and population growth. Natural phenomena and human activities, especially industrial activities increase contamination of water, soil and air. Population growth leads to increased exploitation of the sea and oceans, thus the consumption of seafood increases. In addition, the main food of the people in some areas is fish. Consumption of fish has numerous benefits to healthy for humans, but the existence of some heavy metals including lead, cadmium, and etc. may cause toxicity to marine organisms. The degree of heavy metal toxicity depends on their chemical form of metals. Some forms of metals are rapidly excreted and do not have the opportunity to be absorbed and stored in body tissues, accordingly they are not very toxic, while some forms of metals are highly toxic and lethal. These forms are slowly excreted from metals and have the ability to be absorbed and accumulated in fish muscles and other organs. Heavy metals cause harmful effects such as carcinogenesis, malformations, damage to the nervous system, damage to the reproductive system and infertility in men, liver failure and cardiovascular disease and so on. Therefore, in this review focused on concentration of heavy metals in fish muscle is essential to ensure the safety of this type of food.

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