Heavy metal contamination of North Sea shrimp (Crangon crangon L.)

 Cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg) contents of common shrimp (Crangon crangon L.) from the German mud flats in the North Sea were investigated by means of atomic absorption spectrometry. The heavy metal contents of the 32 samples were low: 0.043±0.026 mg Cd, 0.019±0.011 mg Pb and 0.033±0.016 mg Hg (mean±SD) per kg wet weight. All of the samples contained lower amounts of the investigated elements than the levels of concern of the Federal Institute for Health Protection of Consumers and Veterinary Medicine, i.e. 0.5 mg Pb/kg, 0.1 mg Cd/kg and 0.5 mg Hg/kg wet weight; most of the samples showed significantly lower levels of contamination. Therefore, no risk to the consumer arises from the Cd, Pb and Hg contents of the shrimp caught in this area. The main reasons for the overall low levels of contamination might be the short period of feeding of the shrimp and, with respect to Pb, an active mechanism of secretion. Besides this, the heavy metal load of the shrimp depended on the fishing season (November or May). Received: 23 February 1998 / Revised version: 30 April 1998