Health risk-benefit assessment of the commercial red mangrove crab: Implications for a cultural delicacy

Mangrove forests, provide vital food resources and are an endangered ecosystem worldwide due to pollution and hab-itat destruction. A risk-benefit assessment (RBA) was performed on the red mangrove crab (Ucides occidentalis) from the threatened Guayas mangroves in Ecuador. It was aimed to assess the combined potential adverse and beneficial health impact associated with crab consumption and define a recommended safe intake (SI) to improve the diet of the Ecuadoran population while ensuring safe food intake. Target hazard quotients (THQs), benefit quotients (Qs), and benefit-risk quotients (BRQs) were calculated based on the concentrations of the analyzed contaminants (121 pes-ticide residues, 11 metal(loid)s, antimicrobial drugs from 3 classes) and nutrients (fatty acids, amino acids, and essen-tial nutrients). Except for inorganic arsenic (iAs), the THQ was below 100 for all investigated contaminants, suggesting that the average crab consumer is exposed to levels that do not impose negative non-carcinogenic or carcinogenic health effects in the long and/or short term. Concentrations of iAs (average AsIII: 25.64 and AsV: 6.28 mu g/kg fw) were of the highest concern because of the potential to cause negative health effects on long-term consumption. De-spite the thriving aquaculture in the Guayas estuary, concentrations of residues of the antimicrobial drugs oxytetracy-cline (OTC), florfenicol, and nitrofurans still were low. Based on the fact that different risk reference values exist, related to different safety levels, four SI values (0.002, 0.04, 4, and 18 crabs/day) were obtained. The strictest intake values indicate a concern for current consumption habits. In conclusion, the red mangrove crab contains various im-portant nutrients and can be part of a balanced diet for the Ecuadorian population when consumed in limited portions. The present study emphasizes the importance of safeguarding the quality of the environment as a prerequisite for pro-curing nutritious and safe food.

Automated summary

Mangrove forests are endangered ecosystems that provide vital food resources. A risk-benefit assessment was conducted on the red mangrove crab to determine the potential health impacts of consumption and establish a safe intake recommendation. The results showed that the crab contains important nutrients and can be part of a balanced diet.