A Comparative Analysis of Lead Concentrations in Purged and Unpurged Crayfish (Procambarus clarkii): The Significance of Digestive Tract Removal Prior to Consumption by Humans
✍ Scribed by L.M. Briggs-Reed; M.G. Heagler
- Publisher
- Elsevier Science
- Year
- 1997
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 77 KB
- Volume
- 55
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0026-265X
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✦ Synopsis
Lead has been found to accumulate in the abdominal muscles of crayfish and because of the way in which crayfish feed, their digestive tract has been described as an indicator of lead concentrations in the sediment. Because human consumption of crayfish may result in the consumption of the digestive tract along with the abdominal muscle, the potential exists for ambient environmental lead to be introduced into humans. Purging of crayfish is a process which aids in the removal of unabsorbed material from the digestive tract. The current study measured the lead concentrations of the abdominal muscle tissue of crayfish collected from five commercial crayfish farms in Southwest Louisiana. Average lead concentrations ranged from 0.25 { 0.16 mg/g to 0.40 { 0.14 mg/g (dry weight). There was no significant difference between mean lead concentrations of crayfish analyzed with the digestive tract intact as compared to those in which the tract was removed. In addition, there was no significant difference between lead concentrations of purged and unpurged crayfish.