Fuente: PubMed "bee" Mar Pollut Bull. 2026 Jun 17;231:120018. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2026.120018. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTThis study assessed the accumulation of potentially toxic elements (PTEs; Zn, Cu, As, Al, Pb, Cd, and Hg) in three tissues (hepatopancreas, gills, and muscle) of the invasive blue crab Callinectes sapidus, an increasingly abundant species in the Moulouya estuary (Mediterranean coast of Morocco), and evaluated the potential human health risks associated with its consumption. By integrating tissue-specific accumulation, seasonal variability, sex-related differences, and health risk assessment, this work provides the first comprehensive evaluation of PTE contamination in C. sapidus from this estuarine ecosystem. Samples collected during dry and wet seasons were analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES) and Cold Vapor Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (CV-AAS). Analytical quality was ensured through the use of certified reference materials (TORT-3), procedural blanks, replicate analyses, and instrument calibration checks. Results revealed clear tissue-specific accumulation patterns. The hepatopancreas exhibited the highest concentrations of Zn (88.3 μg/g), As (24.2 μg/g), Pb (0.74 μg/g), and Hg (0.018 μg/g), whereas gills accumulated elevated levels of Al (86.73 μg/g), Cu (81.58 μg/g), and Cd (0.06 μg/g). Muscle tissue consistently showed the lowest concentrations for most elements. Metal concentrations were generally higher during the dry season, while no significant sex-related differences were observed (p > 0.05). Human health risk assessment indicated that EDI, HQ, HI, TCR, and CRL values remained within acceptable limits for both adults and children. These findings suggest that, despite its ability to accumulate PTEs in metabolically active tissues, the edible muscle of C. sapidus poses a low health risk under the exposure assumptions applied. Continued monitoring, together with physicochemical characterization and the inclusion of other relevant species, would strengthen seafood safety assessment and environmental management in this estuarine ecosystem.PMID:42308718 | DOI:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2026.120018