Emerging Marine Biotoxins

The emergence of marine and freshwater toxins in geographical areas where they have never been reported before is a concern due to the considerable impact on (sea)food contamination, and consequently, on public health. Several groups of marine biotoxins, in particular tetrodotoxins, ciguatoxins, and palytoxins, are included among the relevant marine biotoxins that have recently emerged in several coastal areas. A similar situation has been observed in freshwater, where cyanobacterial toxins, such as microcystins, could end up in unexpected areas such as the estuaries where shellfish are cultivated. Climate change and the increased availability of nutrients have been considered as the key factors in the expansion of all of these toxins into new areas; however, this could also be due to more intense biological invasions, more sensitive analytical methods, or perhaps even an increased scientific interest in these natural contaminations. The incidences of human intoxications due to the consumption of seafood contaminated with these toxins have made their study an important task to accomplish in order to protect human health. This Special Issue has a focus on a wide variety of emerging biotoxin classes and techniques to identify and quantify them.

The emergence of marine and freshwater toxins in geographical areas where they have never been reported before is a concern due to the considerable impact on (sea)food contamination, and consequently, on public health. Several groups of marine biotoxins, in particular tetrodotoxins, ciguatoxins, and palytoxins, are included among the relevant marine biotoxins that have recently emerged in several coastal areas. A similar situation has been observed in freshwater, where cyanobacterial toxins, such as microcystins, could end up in unexpected areas such as the estuaries where shellfish are cultivated. Climate change and the increased availability of nutrients have been considered as the key factors in the expansion of all of these toxins into new areas; however, this could also be due to more intense biological invasions, more sensitive analytical methods, or perhaps even an increased scientific interest in these natural contaminations. The incidences of human intoxications due to the consumption of seafood contaminated with these toxins have made their study an important task to accomplish in order to protect human health. This Special Issue has a focus on a wide variety of emerging biotoxin classes and techniques to identify and quantify them.

Marine biotoxins may pose a threat to the human consumption of seafood and seafood products. The increasing global trade and higher demand for seafood products worldwide represents a challenge for food safety authorities, policy makers, food business operators, and the scientific community, in particular, researchers devoted to environmental sciences, toxicology, and analytical chemistry. In addition, due to changes in climate conditions and technological developments, new and emerging marine toxins are being detected in regions where they were previously unknown. This Special Issue highlight studies aiming to the develop detection methods for marine biotoxins for better understanding the dynamics of accumulation/elimination of marine biotoxins and their effects on marine organisms, as well as toxin exposure studies that aim to evaluate the risks associated with the consumption of contaminated seafood.

This paper provides an extensive review of different aspects of five shellfish-poisoning syndromes (paralytic, diarrhoeic, amnesic, neurologic and azapiracid), as well as one fish-poisoning syndrome (ciguatera fish poisoning), and discusses in detail the causative toxins produced by marine organisms, chemical structures and analytical methods of the toxins, habitat and occurrence of the toxin-producing organisms, case studies and existing regulations. Based on this analysis, risk assessments are carried out for each of the toxins, and recommendations are elaborated to improve the management of these risks in order to reduce the harmful effect of these toxins on public health.

This paper provides an extensive review of different aspects of five shellfish-poisoning syndromes (paralytic, diarrhoeic, amnesic, neurologic and azapiracid), as well as one fish-poisoning syndrome (ciguatera fish poisoning). It discusses in detail the causative toxins produced by marine organisms, chemical structures and analytical methods, habitat and occurrence of the toxin-producing organisms, case studies and existing regulations. Based on this analysis, risk assessments are carried out for each of the toxins, and recommendations are elaborated to improve the management of these risks in order to reduce the harmful effects of these toxins on public health. Contents Chapter 1: Introduction; Chapter 2: Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP); Chemical structures and properties, Methods of analysis, Source organism(s) and habitat, Occurrence and accumulation in seafood, Toxicity of PSP toxins, Prevention of PSP intoxication, Cases and outbreaks of PSP, Regulations and monitoring; Chapter 3: Diarrhoeic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP); Chemical structures and properties, Methods of analysis, Source organism(s) and habitat, Occurrence and accumulation in seafood, Toxicity of DSP toxins, Prevention of DSP intoxication, Cases and outbreaks of DSP, Regulations and monitoring; Chapter 4: Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP); Chemical structures and properties, Methods of analysis, Source organism(s) and habitat, Occurrence and accumulation in seafood, Toxicity of ASP toxins, Prevention of ASP toxins, Prevention of ASP intoxication, Cases and outbreaks of ASP, Regulations and monitoring; Chapter 5: Neurologic Shellfish Poisoning (NSP); Chemical structures and properties, Methods of analysis, Source organism(s) and habitat, Occurrence and accumulation in seafood, Toxicity of NSP toxins, Prevention of NSP intoxication, Cases and outbreaks of NSP, Regulations and monitoring; Chapter 6: Azaspiracid Shellfish Poisoning (AZP); Chemical structures and properties, Methods of analysis, Source organism(s) and habitat, Occurrence and accumulation in seafood, Toxicity of AZP toxins, Prevention of AZP intoxication, Cases and outbreaks of AZP, Regulations and monitoring; Chapter 7: Ciguatera Fish Poisoning (CFP); Chemical structures and properties of ciguatoxins, Methods of analysis, Source organism(s), habitat and distribution, Occurrence and accumulation in seafood, Toxicity of CFP toxins, Prevention of CFP intoxication, Cases and outbreaks of CFP, Regulations and monitoring; Chapter 8: Risk Assessment; Risk assessment for paralytic shellfish poisoning (PS), Risk assessment for diarrhoeic shellfish poisoning (DSP), Risk assessment for Amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP), Risk assessment for neurologic shellfish poisoning (NSP), Risk assessment for azaspiracid shellfish poisoning (AZP), Risk assessment for ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP); Chapter 9: Conclusions and Recommendations; Conclusions, Recommendations.

Marine biotoxins may pose a threat to the human consumption of seafood and seafood products. The increasing global trade and higher demand for seafood products worldwide represents a challenge for food safety authorities, policy makers, food business operators, and the scientific community, in particular, researchers devoted to environmental sciences, toxicology, and analytical chemistry. In addition, due to changes in climate conditions and technological developments, new and emerging marine toxins are being detected in regions where they were previously unknown. This Special Issue highlight studies aiming to the develop detection methods for marine biotoxins for better understanding the dynamics of accumulation/elimination of marine biotoxins and their effects on marine organisms, as well as toxin exposure studies that aim to evaluate the risks associated with the consumption of contaminated seafood.

Marine pollution is the harmful effect caused by the entry into the ocean of chemicals or particles. An associated problem is that many potentially toxic chemical's adhere to tiny particles which are then taken up by plankton and benthos animals, most of which are either deposit or filter feeders, concentrating upward within ocean food chains. Also, because most animal feeds contain high fish meal and fish oil content, toxins can be found a few weeks later in commonly consumed food items derived from livestock and animal husbandry such as meat, eggs, milk, butter and margarine. One common path of entry by contaminants to the sea are rivers. Many particles combine chemically in a manner highly depletive of oxygen, causing estuaries to become anoxic. This book presents the latest research in the field from around the world.

Recent Advances in the Analysis of Marine Toxins, Volume 78, the newest release in the Comprehensive Analytical Chemistry series, presents chapters from the best authors in the field, making it an essential resource. Updated sections in this new volume include topics such as The importance of toxin detection and quantification: environmental issues, public health, food safety, animal health, bioterrorism, bioactive compounds, medical approach, an LC-MS/MS analysis of marine toxins, Animal bioassays: identification of toxins and mechanism of action, Receptor binding assays for the analysis of marine toxins, Immunoassays and optical biosensors (visual, SPR, fluorescence) for marine toxins, and Electrochemical biosensors for marine toxins. Chapters in this ongoing series contain practical and useful information, describing real advantages and limitations. Experts in this field contribute based on their research and personal point-of-view. Contains contributions from the best authors in the field Provides an essential resource for marine monitoring managers and scientific community