Survey of lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic in seafood purchased in Campania, Italy

Lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic were surveyed in fresh catch, farmed and frozen marine fish, cephalopods and mussels marketed in Campania (Italy), and the population’s weekly intake from seafood was assessed. A total of 162 specimens of fish and cephalopods and 30 pools of mussels were analyzed. Pb levels in fresh catch species ranged between 520 and 689 ng/g; in farmed from 520 to 438 ng/g and in frozen from 520 to 541 ng/g. Cd values ranged in fresh catch seafood from 50.8 to 19.8 ng/g; in farmed from 50.8 to 42.3 ng/g; in frozen from 50.8 to 93.1. Hg levels ranged 8–339 ng/g in wild seafood; 55–226 ng/g in farmed and 55–313 ng/g in frozen. In fresh catch seafood, As values ranged 510–231 ng/g; in farmed from 12–310 ng/g and in frozen 12–272 ng/g. Cd and Hg concentrations were below the EU limits in all species; two samples of farmed European seabass and two frozen samples exceeded EU limits for Pb. The median weekly dietary intake could affect the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) of Pb by 2% (range 0.5–16.5%), Cd PTWI by 0.9% (range 0.1–8.0%), Hg PTWI by 9.6% (range 0.6–41.0%) and the As PTWI by 3.6% (range 0.4–12.5%). Considering the upper values in the ranges, seafood represents a non-negligible contribution to Pb weekly intake (16.5%), but mainly to the weekly intake of Hg (41.0%) for high seafood consumers and those consuming the most contaminated species.