Metals in fish: environmental monitoring and food safety in the Marine Environmental Protection Areas of the State of São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

The coastal region of Brazil is historically occupied by anthropogenic, industrial, agricultural and port activities, which impact the environment by releasing contaminants, such as metals. In the Marine Environmental Protection Areas (APAMs) of the State of São Paulo, state of São Paulo, the presence of polluting activities occurs at different levels, as it is home to urbanized regions and areas considered Natural Heritage of Humanity, a biodiversity hot spot by UNESCO and RAMSAR sites. This project aims to monitor contamination by metals (arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cd), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn) and mercury (Hg)) in APAMs, to evaluate the impacts on the quality of the environment and public health, in this region with great ecological and economic importance. Such monitoring will be carried out through the quantification of metals in surface sediments, water and fishing resources, this data will be used to calculate the risk for human nutrition, the creation of an online database, including past data from the literature, in order to to recognize the main sources of metals in APAMs. The results will make it possible to present a current overview of the contamination and conditions of the studied fishing resources. Furthermore, it is intended to promote meetings between actors, in order to mobilize and sensitize government and society to prepare a document with prevention and remediation measures for metal contamination that can be applied in APAMs, collaborating with Coastal Management Integrated (GCI). (AU)