Litaker R Wayne, Matweyou Julie A, Kibler Steven R, Hardison D Ransom, Holland William C, Tester Patricia A
CSS Inc. Under Contract to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean Service, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, Beaufort Laboratory, Beaufort, NC 28516, USA.
Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program, Kodiak Seafood and Marine Science Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Kodiak, AK 99615, USA.
Toxins (Basel). 2025 May 28;17(6):271. doi: 10.3390/toxins17060271.
Butter clams () are a staple in the subsistence diets of Alaskan Native communities and are also harvested recreationally. This filter-feeding species can accumulate saxitoxins (STXs), potent neurotoxins produced by late spring and summer blooms of the microalga . The consumption of tainted clams can cause paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP). Traditional beliefs and early reports on the efficacy of removing clam siphons have created the impression that cleaning butter clams by removing certain tissues makes them safe to eat. However, the toxin distribution within clams can vary over time, making the practice of cleaning butter clams unreliable. This study tested the effectiveness of the cleaning methods practiced by harvesters on Kodiak Island, Alaska. Specifically, butter clams were cleaned by removing different tissues to produce samples of "edible" tissues that were tested for STX content. The results were compared to historical data from a study conducted in Southeast Alaska from 1948 to 1949. Using these data, the risk for an average-sized man and woman consuming 200 g of edible tissue was calculated. The results showed that for clams containing >200 µg STX-equivalents 100 g edible tissue, no cleaning method reduced the concentration of STXs in the remaining tissue below the regulatory limit. Meals containing >900 µg STX-equivalents 100 g edible tissue posed a substantial risk of moderate or severe symptoms. No cleaning method assured that untested butter clams are safe to eat.
黄油蛤（）是阿拉斯加原住民社区生计饮食中的主食，也用于休闲捕捞。这种滤食性物种会积累麻痹性贝类毒素（STXs），这是由微藻在春末和夏末大量繁殖产生的强效神经毒素。食用受污染的蛤会导致麻痹性贝类中毒（PSP）。传统观念以及早期关于去除蛤虹吸管有效性的报道给人一种印象，即通过去除某些组织来清洗黄油蛤会使其食用安全。然而，蛤体内毒素的分布会随时间变化，使得清洗黄油蛤的做法不可靠。本研究测试了阿拉斯加科迪亚克岛渔民所采用清洗方法的有效性。具体而言，通过去除不同组织来清洗黄油蛤，以获取“可食用”组织样本并检测其STX含量。将结果与1948年至1949年在阿拉斯加东南部进行的一项研究的历史数据进行比较。利用这些数据，计算了一名普通成年男性和女性食用200克可食用组织的风险。结果表明，对于每100克可食用组织中含有超过200微克STX当量的蛤，没有任何清洗方法能将剩余组织中的STX浓度降低至监管限值以下。每100克可食用组织中含有超过900微克STX当量的膳食会带来出现中度或重度症状的重大风险。没有任何清洗方法能确保未经检测的黄油蛤食用安全。
