Concentrations and health risks of inorganic arsenic and methylmercury in shellfish from typical coastal cities in China: A simultaneous analytical method study

Abstract

Shellfish consumption is an important pathway for coastal residents exposure to inorganic arsenic (iAs) and methylmercury (MeHg). An integrated method had been developed for simultaneous determination of iAs and MeHg in shellfish with microwave-assisted extraction and high performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry identification. The limits of detection were 0.0520, 0.1003 and 0.0015 mg/kg (dry weight) for As^III, As^V and MeHg, respectively. The proposed method was applied to evaluate the contents and health risks of iAs and MeHg in shellfish from the typical coastal cities (Lianyungang and Yantai) in China. The concentrations of iAs and MeHg in fresh shellfish were 0.10-1.69 mg/kg and 0.46-6.38 μg/kg, respectively. The target hazard quotient and target cancer risk values of iAs were the highest for the children and adults in Lianyungang, and were respectively larger than 1 and 1 × 10^-4, indicating both non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks of iAs exposure were significant in this area.

Keywords: HPLC; Health risks; ICP-MS; Inorganic arsenic; Methylmercury; Shellfish.