Contaminants in aquaculture: overview of analytical techniques for their determination

Increasing attention has been focused on the presence of contaminants (e.g., polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorinated pesticides (OCPs), potentially toxic elements, as well as residues of veterinary drugs and antibiotics) in aquaculture products (fish, crustaceans and molluscs). Such contaminants enter the aquaculture systems mainly via feed and then are transferred to organisms. A sensitive and reliable determination of contaminants in aquaculture samples become crucial for controlling food safety hazards, and the efficient assessment of extraction and clean-up methods is essential to contribute to the overall data quality. This overview discusses the analytical techniques for the determination of contaminants in aquaculture, which could interfere with the food safety of produced organisms such as fish, crustaceans and molluscs. The comparison of the concentrations of the contaminants found in the aquaculture products with those established in the global or the European legislations for foodstuffs is also considered. Finally, future perspectives on the determination of aquaculture contaminants are also proposed.