Element analysis of dried figs (Ficus carica L.) from the Mediterranean areas

The minerals content of 36 dried figs samples collected from three Mediterranean areas in 2018 was presented in this study. The aim of this research was to evaluate whether the mineral elements amounts were significantly different among the production regions. Samples grown in Italy, Greece and Turkey were analyzed in this study. Samples were found to be a good source of potassium (average content between 3.5 ± 0.2 g kg⁻¹ and 8.12 ± 0.88 g kg⁻¹), calcium (between 1.46 ± 0.24 g kg⁻¹ and 4.49 ± 0.28 g kg⁻¹), magnesium (between 0.84 ± 0.04 g kg⁻¹ and 1.28 ± 0.15 g kg⁻¹), and sodium (between 0.45 ± 0.04 g kg⁻¹ and 0.70 ± 0.11 g kg⁻¹). Cadmium ad lead concentrations were always below the regulated values and below the quantification limit in all Italian samples, whereas chromium was detected in all samples from Greece (0.05 ± 0.01 mg kg⁻¹) and Turkey (0.03 ± 0.01 mg kg⁻¹), and in 65 % of samples from Italy (0.08 ± 0.02 mg kg⁻¹). Results confirm the good figs quality related to their essential trace elements content and they highlight the safety of these food products correlated to the intake of toxic elements. Furthermore, statistical analysis of the results pointed out that the mineral elements amount is significantly different among the three sample groups, hence it is possible to discriminate figs according to their geographical origin by PCA.     

Distribution of essential and non-essential elements in rice located in a Protected Natural Reserve “Marjal de Pego-Oliva”

Anthropogenic agronomic practices could negatively affect the agricultural soil which is the main source for inorganic arsenic (i-As) contamination in rice fields due to flooding. The presence of essential elements could be impacted by food industry units operations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of husking and polishing on mineral essential elements and inorganic As species in rice from Protected Natural Reserve “Marjal de Pego-Oliva”. The amount of all studied elements was significantly affected by husking (a decrease of Ca, Na and Pb, 360 to 101 mg kg⁻¹, 202 to 46.9 mg kg^-1 and 17.9 to 5.70 μg kg⁻¹, respectively) and by polishing (a reduction of Na, Mg, P, K, Ca and Cu, 46.9–26.8 mg kg⁻¹, 1600 to 481 mg kg⁻¹, 4050 to 1530 mg kg⁻¹, 2780 to 882 mg kg⁻¹, 101 to 53.7 mg kg⁻¹, and 3600 to 2840, μg kg⁻¹, respectively).The replacement of white rice (WR) to brown rice (BR) could enhance the daily dietary intake of essential elements to reach the dietary reference values and the maximum i-As (40.9 and 44.9 i-As μg kg^-1 for BR and WR, respectively) was below the maximum level recently established by European Food Safety Agency.     

Determination and chemometric evaluation of the mineral profile of maize flours

Maize flour is a food rich in nutrients important for the proper functioning of the human body. Nevertheless, for the determination of metals in maize flour there are few studies, which raise concern about quality and its mineral composition for consumption. In this work, it was evaluated the concentration of essential (Ca, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mg, Cr and Zn) and non-essential (Cd and Cr) metals in yellow and white maize flour samples produced in Paraná State - Brazil. For this purpose, it was performed a sample treatment employing wet digestion in a digester block and determination of metals by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The highest concentrations found in the flour were Ca (55.4 mg kg⁻¹) and Mg (86.9 mg kg⁻¹) and the lowest concentrations were Cr (0.11 mg kg⁻¹) and Cd (0.01 mg kg⁻¹). In yellow and white maize flour the highest concentration was for Mg, 81.5 mg kg⁻¹and 98.4 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that some samples had a similar mineral profile, such as the relationship with the place of origin of the cereal.     

Exposure to nickel through commercial premade baby foods: Is there any risk?

A study was performed to evaluate the risk regarding the presence of nickel in commercial premade baby foods: 26 ready meals, 31 fruits, 8 deserts and 20 paps. The analytical methodology used for the determination of nickel was dry ashing followed by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Method detection limit (12.5 μg kg⁻¹) was obtained through a matrix matched calibration curve, using a nickel free commercial ready meal (meat).The results showed that 78 (91.8 %) samples contained nickel, with values up to 225.7 μg kg⁻¹. The group with the highest average concentration was the fruits (50.1 μg kg⁻¹) followed by the ready meals (40.2 μg kg⁻¹). Samples from organic farming presented higher detection frequency and average concentration (54.7 μg kg⁻¹) than the others. Using the average results, the tolerable daily intake proposed by EFSA (2.8 μg kg⁻¹ b.w.) was surpassed for the 2 year old age group, with daily ingestions up to 3.1 μg kg⁻¹ b.w.. This results highlight the risk promoted by the nickel present in commercial premade baby food.     

Essential and non-essential elements in Brazilian infant food and other rice-based products frequently consumed by children and celiac population

Rice and its derivatives are important source of essential and non-essential elements. Essential elements as cobalt (Co) and selenium (Se) are vital for human homeostasis. However, non-essential elements such as arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) may be present in rice-based food and consequently, people can be exposed—especially children and the celiac population. This study aimed to determine essentials and non-essentials elements in rice-based products and baby food and also to evaluate nutritional risk by estimating the daily intake of non-essential elements. Regarding essential elements, Co and Se presented the highest concentrations in rice flour (56 μg kg⁻¹) and porridge (254 μg kg⁻¹), respectively. For non-essential elements, the highest concentrations of As, Cd and Pb were 104 μg kg⁻¹ (porridge), 16 μg kg⁻¹ (flour), and 188 μg kg⁻¹ (bread), respectively. Total As concentration in Brazilian rice-based baby food was <29 μg kg⁻¹. However, As-speciation revealed inorganic-As (i-As) as the main specie. The highest estimated daily intake of Cd, Pb and i-As were 1.37 (rice-based baby food); 10.39 (pasta); and 3.34 (pasta) μg d⁻¹, respectively. Therefore, continuous food monitoring for nutritional and toxicological purpose is necessary, especially concerning these particular populations and discussions for maximum levels of non-essential elements.     

The risk of high mercury accumulation in edible mushrooms cultivated on contaminated substrates

Mercury (Hg) exposures represent a significant worldwide health issue. At the same time its content in cultivated mushrooms is not effectively regulated. The present study investigated how substrate contamination with Hg (0.1–0.5 mM) affects its accumulation in stipes and caps of Agaricus bisporus E58, Pleurotus ostreatus H195 and Hericium erinaceus HE01, mushroom growth and composition of macronutrients. The greatest Hg accumulation was demonstrated for caps. Generally, Hg uptake increased in a concentration-dependent manner and exceeded 44 mg kg⁻¹ (P. ostreatus), 116 mg kg⁻¹ (A. bisporus) and 53 mg kg⁻¹ (H. ercinaceus) in caps after 0.5 mM was added to the substrate. Importantly, an increase in Hg accumulation was also significant and potentially hazardous for human health at the lowest assayed concentration. A. bisporus and P. ostreatus revealed high resistance to Hg and declined its biomass only at 0.4 and 0.5 mM concentration. The presence of Hg did not alter the macronutrient composition (total carbohydrates, proteins and fats). These results highlight the significant role of proper substrate selection in mushroom cultivation to avoid exposing consumers to harmful Hg levels and further health consequences.     

Major and trace elements levels in multifloral and unifloral honeys in Croatia

Different honey types were collected in Croatia during 2010 and 2011: 7 multifloral orchard honeys, 7 multifloral meadow honeys, 19 black locust, 9 chestnut, 11 lime and 6 sage honeys. Elements were measured using graphite (As, Cu, Cd, Pb, Se) and flame atomic absorption spectrometer (Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Na, Zn) and by mercury analyser (Hg). Significant differences in Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Zn, As and Hg levels were observed between honey types. In chestnut honey were determined (K, Ca, Mg: mg kg⁻¹; Hg, Ad, Cd: μg kg⁻¹): the highest concentrations of K 2824.4, Ca 486.7, Mg 59.1 and Hg 2.52; the lowest of As 24.1 and Cd 2.52. Lime honey has been shown the highest content of Cu (20.6 mg kg⁻¹), Zn (6.78 mg kg⁻¹), Cd (2.14 μg kg⁻¹) and Pb (810.3 μg kg⁻¹). The lowest levels of following elements were determined in black locust honey (Fe, K, Mg: mg kg⁻¹; Hg: μg kg⁻¹): Fe 2.77, K 304.7, Mg 8.02 and Hg 0.82. Sage honey had the lowest Ca and Na content (173.9 and 31.8 mg kg⁻¹). Among the multifloral honeys, the following was determined (Fe, Na, Cu: mg kg⁻¹; As, Pb: μg kg⁻¹): orchard honey – highest of Fe 5.17 and As 276.1, lowest Pb 301; meadow honey – highest Na 36.1, lowest Cu 4.38. The average Ca, Cu and Pb levels found in multifloral honey types were much higher than those reported in other European countries. Calcium levels in lime, chestnut and black locust were higher than those from other countries.     

Determination of Se content of 78 sesame accessions with different geographical origin

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element for human health and plays an important role in fundamental physiological functions. Se accumulates in sesame seeds and this situation may differ between genotypes. Determination of Se content in food is very important because there is a narrow margin of safety between an adequate amount and overconsumption. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the variability in Se content among different sesame accessions from Turkey (12 sesame accessions) and 22 other countries from four continents (Asia, Africa, Europe and America). The determination of total Se in seed was performed with an atomic absorption spectrometer. The Se content of sesame seeds samples exhibited a wide range i.e. 0–9.32 mg kg⁻¹, with an average value of about 2.29 mg kg⁻¹. The accession India 1 had the highest Se concentration. The mean Se contents of sesame from 23 countries varied between 0.24–8.31 mg kg⁻¹ and with an average value of about 2.29 mg kg⁻¹. Sesame breeders can use the results of the present study to further the breeding programs for the development of new biofortified varieties.     

Aluminium in infant foods: Total content,effect of in vitro digestion on bioaccessible fraction and preliminary exposure assessment

The objective of this study was to determine the total concentration and bioaccessible fraction of aluminium (Al) in 95 different baby food samples and estimate the exposure assessment. Total Al content was determined following oxidative microwave digestion by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. An in vitro digestionmethod was optimized to evaluate the bioaccessible fraction. Total concentration and bioaccessibility varied according to the sample composition (saltypurees, fruit purees, infant drinks and petitsuisse). Petit suisse, soy-based drink and salty puree samples presented the highest total Al concentrations of 4170 μg kg⁻¹, 2860 μg kg⁻¹ and 2760 μg kg⁻¹, respectively. Bioaccessiblefraction varied from 0.5%–48% according to their composition.Exposure to Al was estimated and compared with the tolerable weekly intakes currently established. The results showed that the consumption of 3 portions/day of soy-based drink along the week could represent a concern.     

Assessment of hydroxymethylfurfural and furfural in commercial bakery products

A survey was conducted on the presence of hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and furfural in bread and bakery products; for this purpose a reliable extraction procedure followed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was applied. The performance of the method was evaluated in terms of linearity (r always > 0.99); detection limits (0.001 mg L⁻¹ for furfural and 0.006 mg L⁻¹ for HMF); recovery percentages (98.5–100.5% for HMF and 94.9–98.9% for furfural); intraday precision (<4.65%) and interday precision (<7.51%). Two batches of a wide variety of products commercially available were analysed (a total of 88 samples). HMF and furfural levels presented high variability between products and batches of the same product. Cake/pastry samples showed the lowest HMF content (3.0 mg kg⁻¹ fw) while biscuits showed the highest content (7.8 mg kg⁻¹ fw) (p < 0.05). Regarding furfural, bread samples presented the highest furfural content (5.3 mg kg⁻¹ fw) (p < 0.05), cake/pastry and biscuits showed the lowest content (1.9 and 3.0 mg kg⁻¹ fw, respectively). Chocolate containing samples presented higher amounts of furfural (>20 mg kg⁻¹). These results indicate that special attention should be given to furfural content of bread (due to its daily high consumption) and re-evaluation of dietary exposure.     

Determination of inorganic arsenic in Argentinean rice by selective HGAAS: Analytical performance for paddy,brown and polished rice

Inorganic As (iAs) species require strict monitoring in foodstuff due to their toxicity. Rice is of particular concern, with recent legislations establishing limits for these species. In this work we develop a method based on selective hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (HGAAS) for the determination of iAs in different types of rice (polish, parboiled, brown and paddy rice). The multivariate design of experiments used for optimization showed interactions between different factors involved in hydride generation. Matrix effects were systematically studied, where the flow rate of the carrier gas proved to be a critical parameter for the minimization of matrix interferences. Nevertheless, matrix-matching was found to be necessary for accurate quantification of paddy rice samples. Comparison of the iAs concentrations obtained by HGAAS and HPLC-ICP-MS showed non-significant differences between the methods. Analysis of 86 rice samples from the province of Entre Ríos showed relatively low concentrations of iAs (<282 μg kg⁻¹ for paddy rice and <120 μg kg⁻¹ for polished rice), regardless of total As concentrations (which ranged from 63 μg kg⁻¹ to 932 μg kg⁻¹), suggesting that the rice analyzed tends to accumulate As in its organic forms.     

Determination of phytosterols in oenological matrices by liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization and ion-trap mass spectrometry

The aim of the present study is the identification of plant sterols and the development of an analytical method that allows for the quantification of such family of compounds in oenological matrices. The application of liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization ion-trap mass spectrometry (LC-APCI-ITMS) to sterol characterization is a useful tool and was selected to perform this research. Sterol separation was achieved using a C8 column with a mobile phase consisting of water and acetonitrile under gradient conditions and column temperature of 35 °C, which leads to analyte elution in less than 25 min. Retention times, precursor ions and MRM transitions of analytes allowed for the identification and sensitive quantitative determination of phytosterols in oenological matrices at trace levels. The method showed a dynamic linear range over the concentration ranges from 0.02 to 320 mg kg⁻¹ for the different parts of grapes and from 8 to 100 ng mL⁻¹ in case of wine. The most abundant phytosterol in all samples was β-sitosterol. The seeds are the richest source of phytosterols having a great amount of β-sitosterol, 314 mg kg⁻¹ fresh berry mass, followed by stigmasterol, fucosterol and campesterol at much lower concentrations (ranging from 3 to 10 mg kg⁻¹).     

Development of HPLC-DAD method for determination of neonicotinoids in honey

After the EU banned the use of the neonicotinoids in flowering crops that honeybees might visit, there has been an increased interest in determining the neonicotinoid residues in honeybee products such as honey. The aim of this study was to develop and optimize an HPLC-DAD analytical method with dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) and QuEChERS sample preparation procedures for the simultaneous analysis of seven neonicotinoids (dinotefuran, nitenpyram, thiametoxam, clothianidin, imidacloprid, acetamiprid and thiacloprid) in honey samples. The liquid chromatographic conditions were optimized by Response surface methodology with Box–Behnken design and Derringer's desirability. The optimized method was validated to fulfill the requirements of SANCO/12571/2013 standard for both sample pretreatment procedures providing results for accuracy (73.1–118.3%), repeatability (3.28–10.40%) and within-laboratory reproducibility (6.45–17.70%), limits of detection (1.5–2.5 μg kg⁻¹) and quantification (5.0–10.0 μg kg⁻¹) with the use of matrix-matched calibration to compensate the matrix effects. For the first time 104 honey samples from Vojvodina were analyzed. The presence of thiacloprid, imidacloprid and thiametoxam was found in a small number of samples implicating the usefulness of ongoing control of honey. Residues were confirmed by LC–MS/MS.     

Effect of the number of frying cycles on the composition,concentrations and risk of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in vegetable oils and fried fish

The use of the same batch of oil for deep-frying on several occasions is a common practice. This study sought to determine the effects of repeated frying cycles on the composition, concentrations and risk of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in six types of vegetable oils and the samples of fish fried therein. The PAH concentrations in the oils were measured before use and after each of three successive cycles of frying. Fish was fried at each time of use of the oils and, also, monitored for their PAH content. The PAH content in all samples was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The concentrations of Ʃ22 PAHs in the unused oils ranged from 43.3–2107 μg kg⁻¹, while those in the used oil ranged from 40.8–4090 μg kg⁻¹. There were significant changes (p < 0.05) in the concentrations and composition of PAHs with respect to vegetable oil types and number of frying cycles. The cancer risk values for the vegetable oils (10⁻⁴ to 10⁻⁵) after three frying cycles exceeded the acceptable risk value of 10^-6 indicating a probable lifetime carcinogenic risk. However, adverse non-carcinogenic risks through consumption of these oils and fried fish were low.     

Concentrations and health risk assessment of total mercury in canned tuna marketed in Southest Brazil

The aim of this research was to determine total mercury (Hg) content in 69 canned tuna of 13 brands marketed in southwest Brazil. All values are reported in μg.g⁻¹ wet weight basis. Potential health risk was estimated on the basis of mercury concentration and average consumption (175 g/per week) of fish in Brazil comparing to PTWI of 1.6 μg.kg⁻¹ (FAO/WHO, 2010). A large variation in the concentration of mercury in different species was observed. Mean mercury concentration was 0.256 ± 0.215 μg.g⁻¹ with a highest value of 1.060 μg.g⁻¹ in a single can. In general average concentration was below the legislation of 1.0 μg.g⁻¹ for predatory species (BRASIL, 2010). Estimate weekly intake (EWI) varied 0.2–1.7 μg.kg⁻¹. For the analyzed brands and Brazilian fish consumption, no human health risk is likely to occur. However one brand was higher than PTWI of 1.6 μg.kg⁻¹ showing no safety for specific risk group. Further studies including specific data on canned tuna consumption in specific populations will be needed as well as the fish type, fish size and fishing location.     

Determination and health risk assessment of heavy metals in imported rice bran oil in Iran

In this current study, the contents of heavy metals including Pb, As, Cr, Cd, Zn, Cu, and Mn in imported rice bran oil in Iran were investigated with microwave digestion method based on an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry system (ICP-OES). The concentrations range of Pb, Cr, Cd, As, Zn, and Cu in rice bran oil samples were measured as 0.066–0.30, 0.008–0.014, 0.005–0.01, 0.047–0.01, 0.025–0.74 and 0.01–0.096 μg/g, respectively. A significant difference (p-value < 0.05) in the mean concentration of Pb in imported rice bran oils samples was observed. The sum of incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) for heavy metals for children and adults were 2.6 × 10⁻⁴ and 2.4 × 10⁻⁵, respectively, which an acceptable level proposed values (10⁻⁴–10⁻⁶) by U.S. EPA. Moreover, the target hazard quotients (THQs) of As, Pb, Cr, Cd, Cu, and Zn for children were limited to between 1.17 × 10^-5 and 9.49 × 10⁻⁹, and in adults were limited to 2.33 × 10⁻⁷and 6.82 × 10^-7, which were lower than the acceptable limit (THQ < 1). There have been concerns regarding heavy metals since past up to now in all foodstuffs. We demonstrated in this study that there are traceable concentrations of heavy metals in six brand of rice bran oils.     

Mineral composition and bioaccessibility in Sarcocornia ambigua using ICP-MS

This study evaluates the nutritional potential of Sarcocornia ambigua as new a source of minerals. The mineral concentrations of two different growing populations (natural occurrence and irrigated) of S. ambigua were evaluated using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. In all samples, the mineral present in highest amounts was potassium (K) (19–24 μg g⁻¹), followed by magnesium (Mg) (8.6–14 μg g⁻¹) and then calcium (Ca) (2.6–4.0 μg g⁻¹). In addition, in vitro bioacessibility assay demonstrated that very high fraction (65–80%) of these K and Mg (80 and 65%) of total concentration of these elements is bioacessible from S. ambigua analyzed. The trace elements vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu) and lithium (Li) have more than above 50% of total concentration was found bioaccessible. In all cases, mass balance was verified by carrying out the total digestion of the remaining residue and the relationship between total concentration and bioaccessibility. The data related to the concentrations and the bioaccessible fractions of the minerals provide a starting point for more complex and in-depth evaluations from the nutritional point of view, including the establishment of a recommended daily dietary intake for this plant.     

A rapid method for simultaneous determination of nitrate,nitrite and thiocyanate in milk by CZE-UV using quaternary ammonium chitosan as electroosmotic flow inverter

This paper proposes a rapid method for the simultaneous determination of nitrate, nitrite and thiocyanate in different milk samples (cow, goat and soy) using capillary zone electrophoresis. The separations were conducted in a fused silica capillary dynamically coated with quaternary ammonium chitosan, with a total length of 48.5 cm (40 cm effective x 75 μm internal diameter) and direct detection in the UV region at 210 nm. The background electrolyte (BGE) was composed of 30 mmol L⁻¹ of aminocaproic acid and 24 mmol L¹ of perchloric acid (pH 3.85).A typical anodic electroosmotic flow of -31 × 10^-9 m² V⁻¹ s⁻¹ was observed at the pH of the separations. Bromate was used as the internal standard. The samples were injected by hydrodynamic pressure (50 mbar, 40 s) and the separation voltage was −30 kV. The proposed method was validated and presented good linearity (R²> 0.99) in the linear range of 0.1–4.0 mg L⁻¹. The ranges of the limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were 0.03-0.04 and 0.05–0.07 mg L⁻¹, respectively. The intra-day and inter-day precision values were better than 4.2 and 8.7 %, respectively. Recovery values ranged from 85 to 104% for the different samples of milk. The proposed method was applied in 12 commercial samples with run times of less than 2 min. The good analytical performance indicates that the method proposed is a promising alternative for the determination of nitrate, thiocyanate and nitrite in milk samples.     

Content of macro- and microelements and evaluation of the intake of different dairy products consumed in Croatia

Macromineral and microelement contents were measured by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry in 51 dairy products (milk, four types of cheese and butter). Significant differences in the concentrations of Ca, K, Na, Mg, Zn and Cu were observed (p < 0.05, all) between dairy products. Higher levels of Ca, Na, Mg and Se were measured in hard cheese than in semi-hard, fresh and cream cheese samples. The highest mean levels of elements were measured in products (mg kg⁻¹): milk: K 2070; hard fat cheese: Ca 10,700, Na 10,300, Mg 440, Zn 91.3, Se 0.78; cream cheese: Cu 3.12, Fe 3.9; butter: Se 0.79. The estimated daily intakes (EDIs) calculated for milk show contribution to the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for the elements (%): Ca 42, K 13.2, Mg 10.3–13.3, Zn 11.4–15.7, Se 13.1. The highest contribution of elements to the RDA values was determined for hard fat cheese (%): Na 7.93, Zn 16.6–22.8, Se 28.4. However, a contribution to the RDA of less than 1% was determined for K, Mg and Fe in cheeses. The contribution of Cu to the RDA value ranged in cheese samples between 2.78 and 6.93%, though this was less than 1% in milk.     

Element differences and evaluation of the dietary intake from farmed oysters and mussels collected at different sites along the Croatian coast of the Adriatic Sea

Concentrations of the macroelements Ca, Mg, K and Na, microelements Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn and toxic metals As, Cd, Hg and Pb were determined in oysters and mussels collected at farming sites in the northern, central and south Adriatic Sea. Mean concentrations in oysters were (mg kg⁻¹): As 4.51, Ca 1551, Cd 1.44, Cu 53.6, Cr 0.23, Fe 45.9, Hg 0.047, K 2476, Mg 895, Mn 2.80, Na 7148, Pb 0.52, Zn 675. Mean values in mussels were (mg kg⁻¹): As 4.71, Ca 601, Cd 0.37, Cu 1.91, Cr 0.29, Fe 49.6, Hg 0.026, K 2246, Mg 1043, Mn 2.49, Na 7992, Pb 0.58, Zn 28.8. Significant differences in the concentrations of toxic metals and elements were found in oysters and mussels among farming sites. Obtained Cd, Hg and Pb concentration in oysters and mussels were lower than the limit levels set by the European Community. However, Cd concentration exceeded the limit level of 1 mg kg⁻¹ in oysters from all locations except Lim Bay. The estimated daily intakes (EDIs) indicate that oysters are a good source of Ca, Cu and Zn. The higher Cu and Zn concentrations than the toxicity reference values suggest a risk for consumers if larger quantities of oysters are consumed frequently.