Mensuração a saúde ambiental de um manguezal altamente urbanizado do semiárido tropical brasileiro utilizando organismos biomonitores (Rio Cocó, Ceará, Brasil).

Abstract

The use of substances harmful to organisms to meet human needs may be reaching aquatic environments in various regions worldwide. Combined with increasing urbanization, this has led to a substantial rise in toxic contaminants in aquatic ecosystems, posing serious risks to both environmental integrity and human health. This study investigated the impact of chronic urban pollution in the Cocó River, Ceará, Brazil, by analyzing 59 pollutants originating from various anthropogenic activities, including seven Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), seven Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs), 21 Organochlorine Pesticides (OCPs), ten Pyrethroids (PPs), 11 Triazines (TPs), and three Organophosphates (OPPs), across three environmental matrices: water, sediment, and crustaceans, of the species Ucides cordatus, fish of the species, Mugil Curema, Eugerres brasilianus, Centropomus parallelus, and Oligoplites saurus, and molluscs of the species Phacoides pectinatus, Mytella charruana, and Crassostrea rhizophorae. Additionally, the study explored how these ongoing anthropogenic activities may influence cancer risk and food safety. A total of 48 pollutant compounds were detected in fish, 33 in crustaceans, and 43 in molluscs. The highest concentrations were observed in sediment and water, followed by the biota, with values exceeding one. The presence of high levels of toxic compounds such as PCBs, OCPs and PBDEs, mainly in sediments and aquatic species, demonstrates a serious risk to human health, potentially intensified by bioaccumulation along the food chain. These results reinforce the need for strict control policies and continuous monitoring of environmental quality, in addition to mitigating the impacts of chronic pollution on food safety and reducing the risks of diseases, such as cancer, for exposed deliveries, ensuring both environmental health and the well-being of communities reliant on these resources.