Health Risk-Driven Prioritization of Organic Contaminants in Aquaculture Products From Eastern China: Integrating Exposure and Toxicity Data to Inform Regulatory Frameworks

Eastern China is a densely populated region with clustered industrial and agricultural complexes that discharge organic pollutants. These contaminants accumulate in the environment and aquaculture products. Since the residents in Eastern China have a dietary preference for specific foods (e.g., aquaculture products), region-specific priority chemicals based on health issues, as well as region-specific regulations for aquaculture production, should be updated. Firstly, the prevalence of neurological disorders, particularly autism spectrum disorder (ASD), was identified in Eastern China through a systematic data mining. Then, a hybrid AHP-Entropy-TOPSIS model was applied to rank the chemicals (n = 14), which might be positively associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), bisphenol A (BPA), organophosphate pesticides (OPPs), pyrethroids (PYRs), etc. Five parameters, which are odds ratios of pollutant-neurological disorder associations, urine or blood concentrations, intake via aquaculture products, publication quantities, and half-lives of the chemicals, were incorporated. The TOPSIS scores of PAHs, OPPs, BPA, PAEs, and PYRs were higher, suggesting a considerable health risk from consuming the aquaculture products in Eastern China. Finally, dietary contribution analysis confirmed aquaculture products as a significant source for PYRs (27.2%) and PAEs (11%), followed by PAHs (6.5%), OPPs (2.5%), and BPA (0.28%) in humans. It is necessary to monitor and regulate the use and incidental input of PYRs and PAEs during the culture period, coupled with public dietary advice to minimize the health risks. Regarding PAHs and OPPs, other exposure pathways could not be ignored. For BPA, predominant exposure pathways should be identified and regulated in the future. In summary, this study provided a scientific basis to screen for risk pollutants in aquaculture products in Eastern China, as well as delivering risk management advice for aquaculture production.