Elements of toxicological concern and the arsenolipids’ profile in the giant-red Mediterranean shrimp, Aristaeomorpha foliacea

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic and selenium in muscle and cephalothorax of giant red Mediterranean shrimp (Aristaeomorpha foliacea). Arsenic was also determined in the lipid fraction of the shrimp to provide an estimate of the arsenolipids. The results indicated that Pb and Cd were higher in cephalothorax than in muscle (p < 0.05), while Hg was doubled in muscle. The concentrations of Cd, Pb and Hg in the edible tissue of shrimp were under the European Union maximum levels for contaminants in foodstuffs. The molar ratio of Se:Hg was calculated to 2.4:1 and 20:1 in muscle and cephalothorax, respectively, results higher than the recommended (1:1). Arsenic concentration was one order of magnitude higher than the rest of the elements. The arsenolipids comprised 0.4 and 1.9 % of the total As in muscle and cephalothorax, respectively, whereas the rest was comprised by water soluble compounds. Analysis of the lipid extracts with High Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled to Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry showed the existence of several arsenolipids, with a dominant peak eluting at 2−4 min, in both muscle and cephalothorax. The Estimated Weekly Intake per meal size in both tissues for adults was calculated.