Concentration of arsenic and heavy metals in snail tissues

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine arsenic and heavy metal concentrations (lead, mercury, copper, cadmium, zinc, iron and manganese) in snail tissues (foot and digestive gland) obtained from snail farms in Serbia (near urban areas). Snail samples were analysed using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. A total of 730 individual snail samples were included in this study. Snails were packed into plastic bags and transported to the laboratory at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Belgrade. The levels of arsenic and mercury in the examined snail tissues were below the detection limit of the analytical method. Concentrations of heavy metals were higher in digestive gland tissues than in foot tissues.

Cilj ovog ispitivanja bio je utvrđivanje koncentracije arsena i teških metala (olova, žive, bakra, kadmijuma, cinka, gvožđa i mangana) u tkivima puževa (stopalo i digestivni trakt) poreklom sa odabranih farmi u Srbiji (u blizini urbanih područja). Uzorci puževa su analizirani pomoć u atomskog apsorpcionog spektrofotometra. U ovu studiju uključeno je ukupno 730 pojedinačnih uzoraka puževa. Uzorci su upakovani u plastične kese, dopremljeni u laboratoriju Veterinarskog fakulteta, Univerziteta u Beogradu. Nivo arsena i žive u ispitivanim uzorcima puževa bio su ispod granice detekcije analitičke metode. Koncentracija teških metala bila je već a u digestivnom tkivu u poređenju sa koncentracijom teških metala u stopalu puževa.