Trace elements in Foodstuffs from the Mediterranean Basin-Occurrence, Risk Assessment, Regulations, and Prevention strategies: A review

doi:10.1007/s12011-022-03334-z

Review

. 2023 May;201(5):2597-2626.

doi: 10.1007/s12011-022-03334-z. Epub 2022 Jun 27.

Trace elements in Foodstuffs from the Mediterranean Basin-Occurrence, Risk Assessment, Regulations, and Prevention strategies: A review

Mourad El Youssfi^{1

2}, Aicha Sifou², Rachid Ben Aakame³, Naima Mahnine³, Said Arsalane², Mohammed Halim², Abdelaziz Laghzizil¹, Abdellah Zinedine⁴

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Applied Chemistry of Materials, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Faculty of Sciences, Avenue Ibn Battouta BP.1014 Agdal, Rabat, Morocco.
² Laboratory of Nanomaterials, Nanotechnologies and Environment, Center of Materials, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Faculty of Sciences, Avenue Ibn Battouta, BP.1014, 10000, Rabat, Morocco.
³ Laboratory of Food Toxicology, National Institute of Hygiene (INH), BP 769 Agdal, 27, Avenue Ibn Batouta, Rabat, Morocco.
⁴ BIOMARE Laboratory, Chouaib Doukkali University, Faculty of Sciences, Route Ben Maachou, PO Box 20, 24000, El Jadida, Morocco. zinedine.a@ucd.ac.ma.

PMID: 35754061
DOI: 10.1007/s12011-022-03334-z

Review

Trace elements in Foodstuffs from the Mediterranean Basin-Occurrence, Risk Assessment, Regulations, and Prevention strategies: A review

Mourad El Youssfi et al. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2023 May.

. 2023 May;201(5):2597-2626.

doi: 10.1007/s12011-022-03334-z. Epub 2022 Jun 27.

Authors

Mourad El Youssfi^{1

2}, Aicha Sifou², Rachid Ben Aakame³, Naima Mahnine³, Said Arsalane², Mohammed Halim², Abdelaziz Laghzizil¹, Abdellah Zinedine⁴

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Applied Chemistry of Materials, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Faculty of Sciences, Avenue Ibn Battouta BP.1014 Agdal, Rabat, Morocco.
² Laboratory of Nanomaterials, Nanotechnologies and Environment, Center of Materials, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Faculty of Sciences, Avenue Ibn Battouta, BP.1014, 10000, Rabat, Morocco.
³ Laboratory of Food Toxicology, National Institute of Hygiene (INH), BP 769 Agdal, 27, Avenue Ibn Batouta, Rabat, Morocco.
⁴ BIOMARE Laboratory, Chouaib Doukkali University, Faculty of Sciences, Route Ben Maachou, PO Box 20, 24000, El Jadida, Morocco. zinedine.a@ucd.ac.ma.

PMID: 35754061
DOI: 10.1007/s12011-022-03334-z

Abstract

Trace elements (TEs) are chemical compounds that naturally occur in the earth's crust and in living organisms at low concentrations. Anthropogenic activities can significantly increase the level of TEs in the environment and finally enter the food chain. Toxic TEs like cadmium, lead, arsenic, and mercury have no positive role in a biological system and can cause harmful effects on human health. Ingestion of contaminated food is a typical route of TEs intake by humans. Recent data about the occurrence of TEs in food available in the Mediterranean countries are considered in this review. Analytical methods are also discussed. Furthermore, a discussion of existing international agency regulations will be given. The risk associated with the dietary intake of TEs was estimated by considering consumer exposure and threshold values such as Benchmark dose lower confidence limit and provisional tolerable weekly intake established by the European Food Safety Authority and the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives, respectively. Finally, several remediation approaches to minimize TE contamination in foodstuffs were discussed including chemical, biological, biotechnological, and nanotechnological methods. The results of this study proved the occurrence of TEs contamination at high levels in vegetables and fish from some Mediterranean countries. Lead and cadmium are more abundant in foodstuffs than other toxic trace elements. Geographical variations in TE contamination of food crops clearly appear, with a greater risk in developing countries. There is still a need for the regular monitoring of these toxic element levels in food items to ensure consumer protection.

Keywords: Foodstuffs; Mediterranean basin; Prevention; Regulations; Risk assessment; Trace elements.

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[1] Kabata-Pendias A (2011) Trace elements in soils and plants, 4th edn. CRC Press, Boca Raton

[2] Kabata-Pendias A (2011) Trace elements in soils and plants, 4th edn. CRC Press, Boca Raton

[3] Madejón P, Domínguez MT, Madejón E et al (2018) Soil-plant relationships and contamination by trace elements: a review of twenty years of experimentation and monitoring after the Aznalcóllar (SW Spain) mine accident. Sci Total Environ 625:50–63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.12.277 - DOI - PubMed

[4] Madejón P, Domínguez MT, Madejón E et al (2018) Soil-plant relationships and contamination by trace elements: a review of twenty years of experimentation and monitoring after the Aznalcóllar (SW Spain) mine accident. Sci Total Environ 625:50–63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.12.277 - DOI - PubMed

[5] Liu L, Yin Y, Hu L et al (2020) Revisiting the forms of trace elements in biogeochemical cycling: analytical needs and challenges. TrAC, Trends Anal Chem 129:115953. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trac.2020.115953 - DOI

[6] Liu L, Yin Y, Hu L et al (2020) Revisiting the forms of trace elements in biogeochemical cycling: analytical needs and challenges. TrAC, Trends Anal Chem 129:115953. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trac.2020.115953 - DOI

[7] Mahajan P, Kaushal J (2018) Role of phytoremediation in reducing cadmium toxicity in soil and water. Journal of Toxicology 2018:1–16. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/4864365 - DOI

[8] Mahajan P, Kaushal J (2018) Role of phytoremediation in reducing cadmium toxicity in soil and water. Journal of Toxicology 2018:1–16. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/4864365 - DOI

[9] Cangemi M, Speziale S, Madonia P et al (2017) Potentially harmful elements released by volcanic ashes: examples from the Mediterranean area. J Volcanol Geoth Res 337:16–28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2017.03.015 - DOI

[10] Cangemi M, Speziale S, Madonia P et al (2017) Potentially harmful elements released by volcanic ashes: examples from the Mediterranean area. J Volcanol Geoth Res 337:16–28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2017.03.015 - DOI

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Trace elements in Foodstuffs from the Mediterranean Basin-Occurrence, Risk Assessment, Regulations, and Prevention strategies: A review

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Trace elements in Foodstuffs from the Mediterranean Basin-Occurrence, Risk Assessment, Regulations, and Prevention strategies: A review

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