Study on the Harmful Substances and Food Safety in the Ruditapes philippinarum at the Xiangshan Bay

Abstract

During the period from January 2011 to May 2015, we analyzed and studied the contents of harmful substances (Hg, Pb, As, Cd, Cu, Zn, Cr, Petroleum hydrocarbons, Polychlorinated biphenyls, Fecal coliforms) which were collected from the body of 300 Ruditapes philippinarum at the Xiangshan Bay areas and food safety. The results indicate that the average contents of the harmful substances Hg, Pb, As, Cd, Cu, Zn, total Cr, Petroleum hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls in the body of Ruditapes philippinarum were respectively 0.016, 0.122, 0.68, 0.052, 0.82 , 12.06, 0.22, 4.6, 0.002 mg/kg(wet) and Fecal coliforms 220MPN/100g. The harmful substances in the Ruditapes philippinarum is closely related to the quality of the sea water and the bottom environmental conditions, and the contents of harmful substances and sediments at the bottom and the heavy metal contents in the sea water are positive relationship; The average content for the adult body length 28-38mm of Ruditapes philippinarum is high, and the average content of larval body length 5-15mm is low. So the harmful substances and the body length are positive relationship. We evaluated that the contents of harmful substances in the Ruditapes philippinarum don’t exceed the standard and can be used for the group to eat safely as the international standards and “The Concentration Limits for the Toxic and Harmful substances in pollution-free food and aquatic products”. KeywordsXiangshan Bay; Ruditapes philippinarum; Harmful substances; Food safety.