The Mediterranean limpet (Patella caerulea, Linnaeus, 1758) is a native species in Türkiye that is not yet a major commercial species but has potential for future commercialisation, particularly given the country’s substantial mollusc export market. This study aimed to evaluate seasonal and station-level variation in trace-element burdens in P. caerulea collected from the Sinop inner harbour (southern Black Sea coast, Türkiye) and to assess the associated trace-element–related non-carcinogenic health risks under a precautionary consumption scenario. Spatial and seasonal variations in the concentrations of 10 trace elements (Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, Hg, and total As) were analysed in specimens collected seasonally from autumn 2022 to summer 2023. Permutational multivariate analysis of variance revealed that season was the primary factor influencing trace element concentration variability, accounting for 76.9% of the total variance, followed by station (11.2%) and the season × station interaction (7.2%). All elements varied significantly among seasons (Kruskal–Wallis, p < 0.001), with maxima in autumn and minima in winter. Spatial differences were significant only for Mn, Co, Pb, Zn, and Hg, indicating localised sources. A human health risk assessment was performed for 6-year-old children, 12-year-old children, and adults. Total target hazard quotient (TTHQ) values were <1 across all groups; however, Cd was the dominant contributor, with the highest value observed in children (max TTHQ = 0.94). TTHQ followed the seasonal contamination pattern, peaking in autumn. Even under the high-consumption scenario, TTHQ for P. caerulea from the Sinop inner harbour remained below the non-carcinogenic risk threshold. The strong seasonal signal supports its use in locally focused biomonitoring, while the health-risk assessment should be limited to the analysed trace elements and associated non-carcinogenic effects.
Oylum Gökkurt Baki (Wed,) studied this question.