Safe and sustainable fish and seafood system and per- and poly-fluorinated substances occurrence: the role of PFAS toxicity in the assessment

Fish and seafood are valuable sources of both nutrients and organic contaminants. The expansion of the analytical per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) panel with toxicological characterisation necessitates an update of PFAS intake assessment and management within the context of cumulative exposure. Benthic and demersal seafood, such as clams, squid, and cuttlefish, are more prone to contamination with C9–C14 perfluorocarboxylic acids, exhibiting the highest relative potency factors in terms of immunotoxicity, according to the grid recently proposed by the European Commission Scientific Committee on Health, Environment, and Emerging Risk. Based on the Italian food consumption database referring to demersal and benthic biota such as squid, cuttlefish, crustaceans, and clams, a toxicology-based intake scenario was drafted to highlight the relevant contribution of such wild species to PFAS intake, well above the provisional health-based guidance value of 4.4 ng/kg body weight per week. Ensuring consistency between PFAS reduction and substitution policies, environmental quality standards for water bodies, and the issuance of advisories and regulations regarding safe and sustainable intake of fish and seafood is crucial. This is done to prevent a loss of accountability for institutional bodies, which aim to protect fragile (sensitive and vulnerable) groups from PFAS exposure and simultaneously promote ‘blue growth’ as a sustainable food production system.