[Concentrations and safety evaluation of heavy metals in aquatic products of Yancheng, Jiangsu Province].

Current status and intake risk of heavy metal pollution in aquatic products were studied in Yancheng, Jiangsu Province. Twenty-two kinds of aquatic products were sampled in May 2012, and the concentrations of Cd, Cu, Zn, Pb and Cr in muscles were measured using atomic absorption spectroscopy. Single factor pollution index (Pg) and metal pollution index (MPI) were used to evaluate the degree of pollution, and provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) and carcinogenic risks were used to assess the edible safety and health risk, respectively. We found all the aquatic products were contaminated, and the pollutions by Cd, Pb and Cr were more serious, with the exceeding rates of 31.8% , 31.8% and 40.9% , respectively. Pi indices indicated the contents of Cd, Pb and Cr exceeded the allowable criteria of " Light Pollution", while Cd and Pb in freshwater fish, Pb and Cr in shellfish, and Cr in cephalopoda reached the criteria of " Heavy Pollution". The MPI results showed that heavy metal pollution in shellfish was the most severe, followed by crustacean, freshwater fish, and cephalopoda, while it was slight in marine fish. At present, the edible safety of heavy metals in aquatic products was acceptable in Yancheng, but the Cr intake of shellfish and cephalopoda was approaching PTWI and that of a minority of marine fishes even exceeded the PTWI value. The model estimation for health risk indicated that the health risk value of heavy metal ingestion was still below the maximal acceptable level (5.0 x 10(-5) a-1), recommended by International Commission on Radiation Protection (ICRP) , but the values of Cr for shellfish and cephalopoda were approaching the criterion. In summary, heavy metal pollution in aquatic products in Yancheng is rather severe, especially for Cr pollution, and more attention should be paid to the pollution status, edible safety and health risk.