Bioaccessibility evaluation of pharmaceuticals in market fish with in vitro simulated digestion

The consumption of pharmaceuticals-contaminated aquatic products could pose risks to human health, and risk assessments considering bioaccessibility can provide better dietary recommendations. In this study, the bioaccessibility of 6 pharmaceuticals (sulfadiazine (SD), sulfapyridine (SPD), roxithromycin (ROX), tylosin (TYL), diclofenac (DIC) and carbamazepine (CMZP)) in several fish species collected from Shanghai markets was evaluated using in vitro simulated digestion. The total mixed pharmaceuticals concentration in freshwater fish were lower than those in marine fish, and statistics showed that the total concentrations of SD, SPD and CMZP in freshwater fish were significantly lower than those of marine fish (p < 0.05). The bioaccessible concentration of each pharmaceutical accounted for 26.3% (TYL) to 101.5% (CMZP) of the total concentration in market fish (n = 70). The bioaccessibility of 6 pharmaceuticals in species of fish was 18.8% (cutlassfish) to 99.6% (bream), which may be related to the physical-chemical properties of the pharmaceutical and the characteristics of the matrix (e.g. lipid content). According to health risk assessments, the consumption of market fish in Shanghai posed no remarkable risk to human health (hazard quotient < 0.099). Ignoring the bioaccessibility of pharmaceuticals in aquatic products might overestimate the human health risks by dietary exposure.