Lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) were determined in mangrove root crab (Goniopsis cruentata) tissues (in natura) and in two culinary preparations by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Mangrove root crab samples from three sampling sites along the Jaguaripe River, Bahia, Brazil, where lead-glazed ceramics are produced, and from two commercial preparations were collected or purchased in March and April 2016. Cd levels in raw and processed samples were below the methods' limits of detection (0.016 mg kg-1), while Pb levels in the raw tissues were determined only in the gills (0.67 mg kg-1) and in the hepatopancreas (0.14 mg kg-1). However, Pb levels increased from 0.05 to 2.84 mg kg-1 in boiled/sorted muscle and in the traditional stew (with a 57-fold increase), respectively. Pb levels augmented significantly in the processed food due to migration of Pb used in the glazing of cooking ceramic utensils, surpassing the Brazilian and international safety limits.
Keywords: Lead; cadmium; food contamination; glazed pottery; mangrove root crab.