Total, organic and inorganic arsenic and mercury in crustaceans (Squilla mantis)

Total organic and inorganic arsenic and mercury levels were measured in the flesh of Squilla mantis caught in the South Adriatic Sea (South Italy) fro m January to April 1998. The levels of total arsenic ranged from 18.98 to 2 0.03 mg/kg w.w. Most of this element was present as organic compounds (97-9 9%), while inorganic arsenic was only a very modest percentage (0.79-2.53%) . Mercury levels ranged from 0.05 to 0.23 mg/kg w.w. No samples exceeded th e maximum limit for mercury (0.5 mg/kg) imposed by Italian law.