SCYMET Project: Potential of Scyliorhinus canicula (Linnaeus, 1758) as a biomonitor of heavy metals in the Western Mediterranean: population study, calibration and application of results
Heavy metals have been shown to have harmful effects on the environment and human health. The latter mainly occurs through the consumption of food with high levels of these substances.
In this regard, Commission Regulation (EC) No 466/2001 and Royal Decree 256/2003 of 28 February establish the maximum permitted levels of contaminants, including metals, in marine food products. These regulations also describe the sampling and analytical methods to be applied after capture and upon entry into the food chain. If the concentration limits established by the European Commission are exceeded, the products must be discarded. This entails a significant environmental cost due to the generation of large amounts of waste, contributing to the depletion of commercial species populations in fishing grounds.
However, species of low commercial value, commonly present in fishery discards, can be used for the biomonitoring of certain xenobiotics such as heavy metals.
In this context, the project proposes to develop the use of females of the elasmobranch species Scyliorhinus canicula (Linnaeus, 1758) for the biomonitoring of xenobiotics such as heavy metals, using specimens discarded by bottom trawl fisheries in the Western Mediterranean. The ultimate objective is to apply this approach to interspecific biomonitoring of xenobiotics between S. canicula and other species of higher commercial value.
Funding (IX. Grants for Emerging Research Groups): €19,600
Researchers:
Project duration: 01/01/2024 – 31/12/2025
Project code: CIGE/2023/010
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