Concentrations of Total and Inorganic Arsenic in Fresh Fish, Mollusks, and Crustaceans from the Gulf of Thailand

2011 ◽  
Vol 74 (3) ◽  
pp. 450-455 ◽  
Author(s):  
SUTHEP RUANGWISES ◽  
NONGLUCK RUANGWISES

Concentrations of total and inorganic arsenic were determined in 120 samples of eight marine animals collected from the Gulf of Thailand between March and May 2008. Two species with the highest annual catch from each of four marine animal groups were analyzed: fish (Indo-Pacific mackerel and goldstripe sardine), bivalves (green mussel and blood cockle), cephalopods (pharaoh cuttlefish and Indian squid), and crustaceans (banana prawn and swimming crab). Concentrations of inorganic arsenic based on wet weight ranged from 0.012 μg/g in Indian squids to 0.603 μg/g in blood cockles. Average percentages of inorganic arsenic with respect to total arsenic ranged from 1.2% in banana prawns to 7.3% in blood cockles. Blood cockles also exhibited the highest levels of total arsenic (5.26 ± 2.01 μg/g) and inorganic arsenic (0.352 ± 0.148 μg/g). The levels of inorganic arsenic in the study samples were much lower than the Thai regulatory limit of 2 μg/g (wet wt) and hence are safe for human consumption.

2005 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Foster ◽  
William Maher ◽  
Anne Taylor ◽  
Frank Krikowa ◽  
Kristy Telford

Environmental Context. The pathways by which arsenic is accumulated and transferred in aquatic ecosystems are relatively unknown. Examination of whole marine ecosystems rather than individual organisms provides greater insights into the biogeochemical cycling of arsenic. Saltmarshes with low ecological diversity are an important terrestrial–marine interface about which little is known regarding arsenic concentrations and species distribution. This study examines the cycling of arsenic within Australian saltmarsh ecosystems to further understand its distribution and trophic transfer. Abstract. This paper reports the distribution of total arsenic and arsenic species in saltmarsh ecosystems located in south-east Australia. We also investigated the relationship between arsenic, iron, and phosphorus concentrations in saltmarsh halophytes and associated sediment. Total mean arsenic concentrations in saltmarsh plants, S. quinqueflora and S. australis, for leaves ranged from 0.03 ± 0.05 to 0.67 ± 0.48 μg g−1 and 0.03 ± 0.02 to 0.08 ± 0.06 μg g−1, respectively, and for roots ranged from 2 ± 2 to 6 ± 12 μg g−1 and 0.39 ± 0.20 to 0.57 ± 1.06 μg g−1 respectively. Removal of iron plaque from the roots reduced the arsenic concentration variability to 0.40–0.79 µg g−1 and 0.95–1.05 µg g−1 for S. quinqueflora and S. australis roots respectively. Significant differences were found between locations for total arsenic concentrations in plant tissues and these differences could be partially attributed to differences in sediment arsenic concentrations between locations. For S. quinqueflora but not S. australis there was a strong correlation between arsenic and iron concentrations in the leaf and root tissues. A significant negative relationship between arsenic and phosphorus concentrations was found for S. quinqueflora leaves but not roots. Total mean arsenic concentrations in salt marsh animal tissues (7 ± 2–21 ± 13 µg g−1) were consistent with those found for other marine animals. The concentration of total arsenic in gastropods and amphipods could be partially explained by the concentration of total arsenic in the dominant saltmarsh plant S. quinqueflora. Of the extractable arsenic, saltmarsh plants were dominated by arsenic(iii), arsenic(v) (66–99%), and glycerol arsenoribose (17–35%). Arsenobetaine was the dominant extractable arsenic species in the gastropods Salinator soilda (84%) and Ophicardelus ornatus (89%) and the crab Neosarmatium meinerti (89%). Amphipods contained mainly arsenobetaine (44%) with some phosphate arsenoribose (23%). Glycerol trimethyl arsonioribose was found in both gastropods (0.7–0.8%) and the visceral mass of N. meinerti (0.1%). These results show that arsenic uptake into plants from uncontaminated saltmarsh environments maybe dependent on plant iron uptake and inhibited by high phosphorus concentrations. Arsenic in saltmarsh plants is mainly present as inorganic arsenic, but arsenic in animals that eat plant detritus is present as organo arsenic species, primarily arsenobetaine and arsenosugars. The presence of glycerol trimethyl arsonioribose poses the question of whether trimethylated arsonioriboses are transitory intermediates in the formation of arsenobetaine.


1998 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 94-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
NONGLUCK RUANGWISES ◽  
SUTHEP RUANGWISES

Concentrations of seven heavy metals were determined in green mussels (Perna viridis) collected between April and June 1995 from eight locations along the Coastal area of the Gulf of Thailand. The average concentrations (n = 96) of the heavy metals detected in mussel samples, on the basis of dry weight, were 1.20 mg kg−1 for cadmium, 0.78 mg kg−1 for chromium, 9.85 mg kg−1 for copper, 1.09 mg kg−1 for lead, 2.78 mg kg−1 for manganese, 1.54 mg kg−1 for nickel, and 94.48 mg kg−1 for zinc. The levels of cadmium, chromium, nickel, and lead found in green mussels from four locations in the Upper Gulf were significantly P < 0.05) higher than those detected in mussels from four locations in the Lower Gulf, while the levels of copper, manganese, and zinc did not differ significantly (P > 0.05) between the Upper and Lower Gulf. Comparison with earlier studies revealed that the concentrations of some metals in the mussels collected from the Upper Gulf are increasing. The concentrations of heavy metals in green mussels from the Gulf of Thailand were within acceptable levels for human consumption.


2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanabordee Duangprasert ◽  
Saifon Daungkaew ◽  
Ronarong Paramatikul ◽  
Regis Vincent

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chatawut Chanvanichskul ◽  
Suchada Punpruk ◽  
Passaworn Silakorn ◽  
Chanya Thammawong ◽  
Surapol Pornnimitthum ◽  
...  

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