Mercury, lead, cadmium and arsenic concentrations in seafood from the North Adriatic Sea

Seafood is the main source of exposure to heavy metals and arsenic, though fish consumption is encouraged for its undoubtedly beneficial effects. During 2006 and 2007, 130 seafood samples were taken from a seafood market placed in the North Adriatic Sea. Except for mussels, all the animals were of wild origin. Ten samples were taken for each of the following 13 different species: 4 mollusc species (Chamelea gallina, Tapes decussatus, Mytilus galloprovincialis, and Sepia officinalis), 2 crustacean species (Penaeus kerathurus, Squilla mantis) and 7 fish species (Merlangius merlangus, Merluccius merluccius, Sardina pilchardus, Solea vulgaris, Mullus barbatus, Engraulis encrasicholus and Mugil cephalus). The species were chosen for their representativeness, being the most consumed and caught in the considered area. After microwave assisted acid digestion the samples were analysed to determine cadmium and lead concentrations by means of graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry and by hydride generation inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry to determine arsenic and mercury concentrations.