Concentrations of Cadmium and Arsenic in Seafood from Muang District, Rayong Province

Abstract

This study was designed to determine the concentration of cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As) in seafoods from Muang District, Rayong Province. Between January and February 2008, samples of the 13 most consumed seafood species were selected and randomly obtained from 3 local markets in Muang District of Rayong Province. Cadmium and arsenic levels were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). The concentration of cadmium in these seafoods were 0.009 – 0.731 μg/g with the highest of 0.731 μg/g in blood cockle (Arca granulosa). The concentration of arsenic in these seafoods were 0.401 – 7.032 μg/g with the highest of 7.032 μg/g in soft cuttle fish (Sepioteuthis lessoniana). This study revealed that the concentrations of two heavy metals accumulated in 13 kinds of seafoods from Muang District, Rayong Province were within safety levels for consumers since cadmium concentration was lower than the allowable standard level of food issued by the National Health and Medical Research Council, Australia and the European Union, and that of arsenic content was not higher than the allowable standard level of food issued by the Ministry of Public Health of Thailand, with the exception of the total arsenic contents in soft cuttle fish (Sepioteuthis lessoniana), splendid squid (Loligo duvauceli), yellow stripe trevally (Selaroides leptolepis), ornate threadfin bream (Nemipterus hexodon) and green mussel (Perna viridis).