Status of Heavy Metal Pollution in the Shellfish Culture Area of Shangdong Province and the Risk Analysis of Heavy Metal Elements in the Shellfish

Abstract:

In this study, we evaluated the accumulation of heavy metals in organisms, and discussed its effect on the quality and food safety of the shellfish. The status of heavy metal pollution was analyzed in the seawater, sediments and organisms in the major shellfish culture area of Shangdong Province in August 2014. The contents of heavy metals in the water followed the order As>Cu>Cr>Pb>Cd>Hg; the order in sediments was Cr>Pb>Cu>As>Cd>Hg; in organisms, it was Cu>As>Cd>Cr>Pb>Hg. It was found that the contents of heavy metals in the seawater met the second seawater quality standard, and those in sediments complied with the first marine sediment quality standard. We also found that the contents of Hg, Cd, Pb and Cr in seashells were below the limit according to the standard for the toxic substance in the non-environmental pollution aquatic products. The level of Cu was lower than the limit according to the first marine biological quality standard. The enrichment coefficients of heavy metals in the shellfish followed the order Cu>Cd>Hg>Pb>Cr>As. There accumulation of heavy metals in the shellfish was moderate. Based on the evaluation of the heavy metal pollution in the shellfish, we concluded that the food safety risk of the shellfish in the major culture area of Shangdong Province was relatively low. However, we highly recommend the removal of internal organs of the shellfish before consumption.