Arsenic compounds accumulated in pearl oyster Pinctada fucata.
We investigated the water-soluble arsenic compounds present in the soft tissues of both the pearl-free and the pearl-containing pearl oysters. After dividing the soft tissue into five parts, i.e., adductor muscle, foot, mantle, viscera and gill, each part was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for the arsenic compounds accumulated in it. Arsenic concentration of each tissue part ranged from 22.1 to 45.7 microg g(-1) of dry tissue in the pearl-free pearl oyster and from 27.4 to 50.4 microg g(-1) of dry tissue in the pearl-containing pearl oyster. On the grounds of the present evidence the major water-soluble arsenic compound accumulated in each part was identified as arsenobetaine without exception in both types of pearl oysters (94.3-99.7% in the pearl-free pearl oyster and 87.2-99.7% in the pearl-containing pearl oyster). Trace or small amounts of arsenic compounds including tetramethylarsonium ion and arsenocholine were also detected in some parts. The levels of these minor arsenicals were a little higher in pearl-free pearl oyster than in the pearl-containing pearl oyster. This study confirms the hygienic safety of the soft tissues of both the pearl-free and the pearl-containing pearl oysters, as food.
Katano
Seiji
S
Katano Bussan Co Ltd, Mukuno-machi 3-13-18, Shimonoseki 751-0816, Japan.
Matsuo
Yuka
Y
Hanaoka
Ken'ichi
K
D000818:Animals; D001152:Arsenicals / Q000737:chemistry*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D007564:Japan; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D010125:Ostreidae / Q000737:chemistry*; D012758:Shellfish
D001152:Arsenicals