Heavy metals and PAHs in mussels on the Serbian market and consumer exposure
Date
2021Author
Novakov, Nikolina
Kartalović, Brankica
Mihaljev, Željko
Mastanjević, Krešimir
Stojanac, Nenad
Habschied, Kristina
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The goal of the study was to investigate the concentration of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons (PAHs) in 84 samples of mussels, collected from supermarkets and fish markets in
Serbia. Lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic concentrations were determined using an inductive
coupled plasma mass spectrometry method. Sixteen PAHs were determined using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method. Heavy metals in the mussels were in the range (mg/kg) of
0.01–0.74 for lead, 0.01–0.38 for cadmium, 0.01–0.15 for mercury and 1.12–5.87 for arsenic. Metals
and PAHs levels in all analysed samples were under the legal European and Serbian legislation
limits. The provisional tolerable intake values were calculated on the base of the obtainable values
of heavy metals. Mussels are considered to be safe for human consumption. However, one should
take care of the amount and frequency of mussel consumption, primarily due to consumer’s
cadmium and mercury burden.