Fast analysis of relevant contaminants mixture in commercial shellfish

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Marine Biology

Background:

• Assessing chemical mixtures in the environment presents significant challenges.
• Developing systematic methods for environmental risk assessment is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a simple, rapid, and sensitive method for detecting and quantifying a mixture of 23 contaminants in molluscs.
• To address the challenge of analyzing complex chemical mixtures in environmental samples.

Main Methods:

• The method utilizes QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe) combined with Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography-High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS).
• Validation was performed on four commercially important shellfish species: mussel, oyster, cockle, and razor shell.
• The analysis targeted pesticides, endocrine disruptors, and pharmaceuticals.

Main Results:

• The method demonstrated high recovery rates (96-107%) and good precision (RSD < 10% intra-day, < 17% inter-day).
• Method detection and quantification limits were below 10 ng/g dry weight for all target compounds and species.
• Application to Ebro Delta aquaculture samples revealed high bisphenol A levels in cockles (C. edule), potentially explaining mortality events, and low levels of other contaminants in oysters (C. gigas).

Conclusions:

• The developed QuEChERS-UHPLC-HRMS method is effective for analyzing complex chemical mixtures in various shellfish species.
• The detection of high bisphenol A levels in cockles suggests a link to observed mortality, highlighting the method's utility in environmental health investigations.
• This approach provides a valuable tool for monitoring environmental pollutants in marine organisms and assessing ecological risks.