Multivariate Data Analysis of Trace Elements in Bivalve Molluscs: Characterization and Food Safety Evaluation

Four species of bivalve molluscs (Anomalocardia brasiliana, Iphigenia brasiliana, Lucina pectinata and Trachycardium muricatum) were collected in the Todos os Santos Bay (TSB), Bahia, Brazil, in order to evaluate As, Cd, Co, Cu, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, V and Zn levels and, consequently, the risk of bivalve mollusc consumption in humans. The samples were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) after closed-vessel microwave digestion. The accuracy was confirmed using the certified reference materials of oyster tissue (NIST 1566b) and mussel tissue (NIST 2977), and the results were statistically equivalent to the certified values. Application of principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) showed a tendency to form two groups between samples of Lucina pectinata and Trachycardium muricatum. All species showed As and Cr concentrations higher than the maximum tolerable limit specified in Brazilian legislation.