Proceeding of Veterinary and Animal Science Days 2017, 6th- 8th June, Milan, Italy 

HAF © 2013 

Vol. IV, No. 1s   ISSN: 2283-3927 

   

 

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Keywords 

Metals, ICP-MS, Mussels, 

Maximum Levels, Tolerable 

intakes 

 

CORRESPONDING AUTHOR 

Federica Ceriani 

federica.ceriani@unimi.it 

 

JOURNAL HOME PAGE 

riviste.unimi.it/index.php/haf 

Metals in mussels from Italian mollusc  

culture plants 

Federica Ceriani1*, Luca Maria Chiesa1, Sara Panseri1, Francesco Arioli1 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1University of Milan, Department of Health, Animal Science and Food Safety, Italy  

 

Abstract 

The beneficial effects on human health of seafood are well known. However, seafood is a major 

source of exposition for consumers of most of the contaminants due to human activities such as 

breeding, industries, mining and agriculture: the overall level in biota, therefore seafood and 

particularly molluscs, dramatically increased over this last two centuries (Mozaffarian and Rimm, 

2016). This study evaluates the presence of Cadmium, Lead, Mercury, Arsenic, Nickel and Chromium 

in mussels from the Italian mussel culture plants, and estimates the risk that Italian consumer 

undergoes eating these molluscs. A total of 30 mussel samples was collected at the wholesale fish 

market of Milan. The fishing area of origin were 37 FAO marine area (corresponding to Mediterranean 

Sea), particularly from FAO 37.2.1 Ligury, 37.2.2. North Adriatic, middle Adriatic, Puglia, 37.2.3 Lazio and 

Sardinia, and were collected from July 2016 to February 2017. (Fig.1). The analyses were done by using 

an Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS), according to the Environmental 

Protection Agency (EPA) 3050B method. The concentrations (mg kg-1 wet weight) were shown as 

25th, 50th (median), 75th and 100th (maximum concentration) percentiles. The sample concentrations 

were below the Maximum Levels (MLs) given by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 (European 

Union, 2006) for Cadmium (0,15; 0,23; 0,08; 2,13 mg kg-1), Lead (0,14; 0,20; 0,32; 0,79mg kg-1) and 

Mercury (0,02; 0,03; 0,04; 0,16 mg kg-1), except one sample from south Adriatic sea, that showed 

Mercury concentration of 0.528 mg kg-1. Arsenic, Nickel and Chromium MLs are not stated by EU. 

Arsenic concentration was 4,00; 4,73; 5,58; 13,36 mg kg-1 and Nickel 0,27; 0,43; 0,69; 3,98 mg kg-1. 

Chromium was found only in 5 of 30 samples analysed with a concentration 0,00; 0,00; 0,00; 0,64 mg 

kg-1. Based on the tolerable intakes by EFSA (EFSA, 2014a, 2014b, 2015) and MLs by EU, Italian mussels 

do not pose a risk consumers. 

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en


Proceeding of Veterinary and Animal Science Days 2017, 6th- 8th June, Milan, Italy 

HAF © 2013 

Vol. IV, No. 1s   ISSN: 2283-3927 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fig.1: Origin FAO areas of mussel samples 
FAO 37.2.1 Ligury, 37.2.2. North Adriatic, middle Adriatic, Puglia, 37.2.3 Lazio and Sardinia; n=number of samples. 

 
 

References 

EFSA, 2014a. Dietary exposure to inorganic arsenic in the European population. EFSA J., 12, 3597-3658. 

EFSA, 2014b. Scientific Opinion on the risks to public health related to the presence of chromium in food and drinking 
water1. EFSA J., 9, 11-25. 

EFSA, 2015. Scientific Opinion on the risks to public health related to the presence of nickel in food and drinking 
water. EFSA J., 13, 4002-4203. 

European Union (2006) Commission Regulation (EC) NO. 1881/2006 setting maximum levels for certain 
contaminants in foodstuffs. O.J.E.U., L 364, 5-24. 

Mozaffarian, D., Rimm, E.B., 2006. Fish intake, contaminants, and human health: evaluating the Risks and the 
Benefits. JAMA, 296, 1885-1899. 

 

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en