Toxic effects of heavy metals on crustaceans and associated health risks in humans: a review

Abstract

The contamination of seafood by heavy metals is a rising health issue in the context of pollution caused by increasing industrialization and urbanization. Crustaceans are particularly susceptible to heavy metal pollution in aquatic ecosystems due to their benthic and sedimentary lifestyle. Here we review crustaceans contamination by heavy metals with a focus on metal sources and dynamics, interaction of metals with other pollutants, metal analysis, bioconcentration and bioaccumulation, toxicity, and strategies to control metals. We observed that crustaceans tend to accumulate more heavy metals than other aquatic animals. Consequently, in certain regions of the world, consuming crustaceans as food may potentially threaten human health. The bioavailability, transport, and interaction of heavy metals with other pollutants depend on various factors, potentially leading to differential toxicity. Heavy metals induce multiple toxic effects on crustaceans, including metabolic dysfunction, genotoxic effects, respiratory impairments, DNA damage, sperm mobility, and quantity, and these poisonous effects will intensify with prolonged exposure time and increasing concentration. The concentration of heavy metals in crustacean samples is usually determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry and mass spectrometry. Approaches to reducing this potential threat include proper industrial wastewater treatment and using low-cost adsorbent materials in aquaculture.