Marine phycotoxin levels in shellfish—14 years of data gathered along the Italian coast

• DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2023.102560
• Publication Date: 2023-12-14T03:48:10Z
• Authors: Stefano Accoroni; Monica Cangini; Roberto Angeletti; Carmen Losasso; Simone Bacchiocchi; Antonella Costa; Aurelia Di Taranto; Laura Escalera; Giorgio Fedrizzi; Angela Garzia; Francesca Longo; Andrea Macaluso; Nunzia Melchiorre; Anna Milandri; Stefania Milandri; Marina Montresor; Francesca Neri; Arianna Piersanti; Silva Rubini; Chiara Suraci; Francesca Susini; Maria Rosaria Vad...; Alessandro Grazia...; Barbara Vivaldi; Barbara Soro; Cecilia Totti; Adriana Zingone

Along the Italian coasts, toxins of algal origin in wild and cultivated shellfish have been reported since 1970s. In this study, we used data gathered by Veterinary Public Health Institutes (IZS) Environmental Protection Agencies (ARPA) from 2006 to 2019 investigate toxicity events along coasts relate them distribution potentially toxic species. Among detected (OA analogs, YTXs, PTXs, STXs, DAs, AZAs), OA YTX were those most frequently reported. Levels exceeding regulatory limits case (≤2,448 μg equivalent kg−1) associated with high abundances Dinophysis spp., YTXs (≤22 mg blooms Gonyaulax spinifera, Lingulodinium polyedra, Protoceratium reticulatum. Seasonal Pseudo-nitzschia spp. occur all coast, but DA has only occasionally at concentrations always below limit (≤18 kg−1). Alexandrium recorded several areas, although STXs (≤13,782 µg rarely few sites exceeded shellfish. Azadinium sporadically recorded, AZAs sometimes low (≤7 emerging toxins, PLTX-like (≤971 kg−1 OVTX-a) often mainly mussels sea urchins rocky shores due presence Ostreopsis cf. ovata. Overall, coastal waters harbour a number species, HAB hotspots related DSP toxins. Nevertheless, rare cases intoxications occurred so far, reflecting whole Mediterranean Sea conditions.