4. Conclusions
Black scabbard fish and edible crab brown meat constitute a health risk for Portuguese consumers, taking into account consumers' habits and the high levels of Methyl-Hg and Cd. Hence, adults should moderately consume black scabbard fish (weekly not exceeding 90 g grilled meat and 120 g fried meat) and edible crab's brown meat (weekly not exceeding 27 g boiled meat), whereas children and pregnant/lactating women should avoid its consumption. Children should not eat per week more than 40 g grilled fish, 55 g fried fish and 12 g edible crab brown meat. The intake of EPA + DHA cannot be considered as a benefit for both species, since the probabilities of reaching the DRI are extremely reduced. In contrast, the consumption of edible crab's white meat should be promoted in a healthy diet, since the balance between risks (vestigial levels of Methyl-Hg and Cd) and benefits (Se content close to DRI) are very positive. Data obtained in this study provides important risk–benefit assessment for the consumption of two economically important seafood species in Portugal. In addition, the approach used can be an excellent tool for other worldwide relevant seafood species to perform accurate and useful risk–benefit assessment. Future research on public health risks and benefits should reflect the habits and consumption patterns of the population under study. Additionally, the effect of cooking treatments in seafood constituents' levels should also be taken into account, since results observed in raw and cooked products can be different.−1) (Table 3).