Consumo de pescado proveniente do Lago Igapó (Londrina/PR) por pescadores amadores: uma eventual exposição à contaminação por chumbo

Abstract

Increasing environmental pollution in recent decades has made toxic metals a constant threat to living creatures. Lead is among the most important ones due to contaminated areas extension and its deleterious effect on human health. Certain fish species are very important to human nutrition because they are considered a major protein source and are part of human food composition. Fish represent one of the main sources of metal intake for humans in the food chain. Previous studies have identified lead presence in concentrations above the maximum level admitted by the legislation at several points along the Ribeirão Cambé, in the city of Londrina / PR Brazil. As Lake Igapo is important to the local population for fishing and recreation activities, the present study aims to analyze the potential lead contamination that this population could be exposed when fishing and consuming fishes from the lake. A questionnaire was designed to evaluate socioeconomic aspects and fishing habits, a quantitative and qualitative analysis was done. Amateur fishermen of Lago Igapó answered the questionnaire, and biometrics and identification of the specimens captured by the interviewees were carried out. Data shows that 59% of the interviewees practice subsistence fishing, oriented to fish consumption exclusively. In addition, 15% of fishermen have revealed that they are engaged in recreational fishing and consume the fishery product occasionally. Interviewees fish consumption frequency is high (2.35 days / week), and this consumption is primarily from Lago Igapó (2.20 days / week). Tilapia rendalli is considerably more abundant (almost 90% of the specimens) among the species identified; it shows that this species is one of the most consumed by local fishermen. This data is worrisome once previous studies showed a lead concentration around thirteen times the limit allowed by the legislation for this species. The result reflects the importance of the fishery product from Lake Igapó as a source of protein in the diet of fishermen and their families and confirms the concern regarding the possible exposure of the population to lead contamination.