Abstract:Crustaceans are known to accumulate high concentrations of cadmium. Chemical speciation analysis of cadmium in edible tissues of two crustaceans (P. trituberculatus and O. oratoria) was performed using size exclusion chromatography-high performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SEC-HPLC-ICP-MS). The results showed that the total cadmium content in the liver and pancreas of P. trituberculatus was higher than that in the muscle; in addition, significant differences were found between the total cadmium content in different samples and in the chemical forms of cadmium in these samples. In the liver and pancreas of P. trituberculatus samples with high cadmium content, cadmium mainly existed in the form of Cd-MT (metallothionein). Cd-Cys (cysteine) was the major form of cadmium in the liver and pancreas of samples with low cadmium content, as well as in the muscle tissues. Cadmium in the muscle tissues of O. oratoria was found to be mainly in the form of Cd-MT. These results indicated that further evaluation and assessment of the national standards in the limits of cadmium levels in crustaceans might be necessary.
