2024-04-26 17:08:56
This is disturbing news for Koreans, who rank first in annual seafood consumption per capita. This may shake the common sense that ‘seafood is a healthy food ingredient’.
In particular, people who enjoy eating crustaceans such as shrimp, crabs, and lobsters should be concerned about the risk of exposure to perfluorinated compounds (PFAS), known as ‘persistent chemicals’ (chemicals that do not decompose in the human body or the environment).
According to a study published on the 12th in the international academic journal ‘Exposure and Health’, researchers at Dartmouth University in the United States measured the concentration of PFAS in various seafood sold in the market based on the seafood consumption habits of approximately 1,800 residents of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on the Atlantic coast. investigated. Among them, the highest concentration was measured in shrimp and lobster.
PFAS has a very stable chemical structure, so it does not decompose easily in nature, is not easily contaminated by water and oil, and is resistant to heat. It is widely used in clothing, paper cups, wire coverings, frying pan coatings, etc. However, it is toxic and contaminates soil and water. Recently, regulatory movements are in full swing as research results show that long-term accumulation in the body increases the risk of growth and development disorders, liver damage, and certain cancers.
“I hope this serves as an opportunity to draw attention to the fact that seafood consumption can be an important route of PFAS exposure for those who enjoy it,” said Celia Y. Chen, professor of biology at Dartmouth College and co-author of the study, in an interview with Health.com. .
Quite high concentrations of PFAS have previously been measured in freshwater fish.
Dr. Megan Romano of Tadmouth Medical School, who worked on this study, said she was surprised to learn that there were very few studies examining PFAS pollution in sea creatures.
“This seemed odd, considering that most of the fish and shellfish people eat comes from the ocean rather than freshwater,” he said. He said that he found out whether people eat a lot, what types of seafood they eat, and how much PFAS is contained in the various seafood people eat.
Researchers surveyed the seafood consumption habits of a total of 1,829 people, including children and adults aged 2 to 11. They then measured the concentrations of 26 types of PFAS in fresh cod, oysters, lobster, salmon, scallops, shrimp and tuna sold at a Portsmouth market. The reason residents of this region were selected for the survey is because seafood consumption here is 1.5 times higher than the U.S. average.
As a result, the PFAS concentrations in shrimp and lobster were 1.74 and 3.3 nanograms (one billionth of a gram) per gram of flesh, respectively. Other types of seafood had less than 1 nanogram per gram of flesh.
It is not clear how these marine animals ingest PFAS. The researchers said concentrations were likely higher on the sea floor, which explains why shrimp and lobster ranked high.
Some species may have higher PFAS levels if they live closer to the coast.
“Our findings suggest that people who consume seafood very frequently may be at risk for excessive PFAS exposure from certain seafood, such as shrimp and lobster,” Dr. Romano said.
They said their findings were based on other studies that found high concentrations of PFAS in certain seafood, and that they also examined seafood collected off the coasts of the United States, Europe, and other regions.
Dr. Chen said the government should establish standards for acceptable levels of PFAS.
Experts emphasized that it is not necessary to avoid eating seafood altogether to avoid PFAS exposure, but advised to eat only the types.
He added that crustaceans are relatively safe if you reduce the number of intakes and choose small fish such as sardines.
Meanwhile, according to a study published last year by Mount Sinai School of Medicine in the United States, Asians had the highest level of exposure to PFAS among multi-ethnic groups living in the United States. The median blood PFAS concentration of Asian Americans was found to be 88% higher than that of white people. Although the exact reason could not be determined, it was assumed that food culture may have had an influence.
Anna Reed, a senior researcher at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), an environmental group, said Asians consume the most freshwater fish, which are most likely to be contaminated with perfluorinated compounds, and it is possible that cultural and dietary factors may have led to differences in exposure levels by race. He said there is.
Park Hae-sik, Donga.com reporter pistols@donga.com
2024-04-26 17:08:56