Determination of metal(loid)s by ICP-OES in dried shrimp from a major seafood wholesale market in Thailand: source identification and health risk assessment

Metal(loid)s are major contaminants frequently detected in dried shrimp, originating from environmentally contaminated sources, anthropogenic activities, and processing procedures. Consumption of dried shrimp may introduce potential health concerns due to metal(loid) contamination. This study investigated the contamination of metal(loid)s, including arsenic, chromium, copper, iron, manganese, nickel, lead, and zinc, in dried shrimp purchased from a major wholesale seafood market in Thailand. Metal(loid)s were quantified following microwave digestion and analysis using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry, and human health risk assessment was performed based on the United States Environmental Protection Agency framework. The analytical results showed that average concentrations of arsenic, copper, manganese, nickel, and zinc exceeded national and international regulatory limits for metal(loid)s in food. Regarding health risk assessment, carcinogenic risk was identified as the primary health concern across all age groups based on individual exposure to carcinogenic metal(loid)s, with arsenic contributing to an acceptable carcinogenic risk, whereas nickel resulted in an unacceptable carcinogenic risk level. Moreover, when considering multiple carcinogenic metal(loid)s exposure in the carcinogenic health risk assessment, unacceptable carcinogenic risk levels were observed across all age groups. In contrast, non-carcinogenic risk assessment indicated that metal(loid) contamination did not pose significant health risks under either individual or multi-element exposure scenarios. These findings highlight the need for strengthened food safety management and stricter regulatory control, particularly regarding raw material quality and dried shrimp production processes, to minimise metal(loid) contamination, support sustainable food production, and ensure consumer protection.