Mangrove forests provide vital food resources and are an endangered ecosystem worldwide due to pollution, climate change and habitat destruction. Over the last decade, the Guayas estuary in Ecuador has been experiencing degradation due to anthropogenic input of pollutants. Following the One Health principle, the aim of the study was to investigate the effects of a range of (emerging) pollutants on the health of the ecosystem, animals and humans.
As such, we analysed different types of pollutants such as pesticides, metals, perfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in the Guayas estuary in Ecuador, where major shrimp production is taking place. Pesticides and metals were analysed in water, sediment and crab (Ucides occidentalis) samples (as a sentinel organism) from the estuary. PFAS and PAHs were analysed in crabmeat samples.
Aquatic and human health risk assessments were conducted to determine potential health risks to the environment and the crab consumer. The findings presented in this research can support the protection of human health and help the management of ecosystems and rivers in Ecuador and globally.
References
De Cock, A., De Troyer, N., Eurie, M. A. F., Garcia Arevalo, I., Van Echelpoel, W., Jacxsens, L., ... & Goethals, P. L. (2021). From mangrove to fork: Metal presence in the Guayas estuary (Ecuador) and commercial mangrove crabs. Foods, 10(8), 1880.
De Cock, A., Eurie, F. M. A., Isabel, G. A., Arne, D., Lenin, R. F., Liesbeth, J., Pieter, S., ... & LM, G. P. (2021). From field to plate: Agricultural pesticide presence in the Guayas estuary (Ecuador) and commercial mangrove crabs. Environmental Pollution, 289, 117955.
De Cock, A., Forio, M. A. E., Dominguez-Granda, L., & Goethals, P. L. (2022). Bayesian belief networks for the analysis of the controversial role of hydropower development in the antagonistic agrofood-fisheries nexus: A potential approach supporting sustainable development in the Guayas River basin (Ecuador). Frontiers in Environmental Science, 10, 2267.
De Cock, A., Forio, M. A. E., Croubels, S., Dominguez-Granda, L., Jacxsens, L., Lachat, C., ... & Goethals, P. L. (2023). Health risk-benefit assessment of the commercial red mangrove crab: Implications for a cultural delicacy. Science of The Total Environment, 862, 160737
De Cock, A., De Clercq, K., Pensaert, E., Groffen, T., Jacxsens, L., Dominguez-Granda, L., Bervoets, L., Goethals, P. Consumer health risks of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) in the Ecuadorian red mangrove crab. Under review.