DETERMINATION OF CADMIUM IN EDIBLE TISSUES OF CRABS CATCH IN ITALIAN TERITORIAL WATERS: MONITORING ON EMILIA ROMAGNA REGION

Abstract

On 2008 there was a Community alert concerning the presence of Cadmium in crabs and on December 2009 there was a note from the Italian Ministry of Health concerning the control of cadmium in edible tissues of crabs caught in Italian territorial waters. This laboratory analyzed a total of 32 samples of crabs by atomic absorption spectroscopy graphite stove dividing the crustaceans in the following tissues: bright parts contained in claws, dark parts contained in the shell and red parts contained in the shell. The results showed that gastrointestinal shellfish tissues is at greatest risk, while the bright parts contained in claws are always below the limit set by European legislation (Reg. 1881/2006 and following). Furthermore it is clear that the crustaceans caught in the northern Adriatic present values of cadmium significantly lower compared to shellfish from France and UK.

Keywords

• Cadmium, Shellfish, Crustaceans.