Arsenic speciation and risk assesment of hijiki (Hizikia fusiforme) by HPLC-ICP-MS

Abstract

This study investigated arsenic speciation and risk assesment in 30 samples of hijiki purchased from local market in 10 Korean cities. The mean arsenic concentration of the hijiki samples was 45.65 mg/kg (dryness; moisture content of 91.1 ± 1.6%), and the major arsenic compound was arsenate (As(V)). The concentrations of As(V) and As(III), as inorganic arsenic compounds, were detected to be 40.36 mg/kg and 0.37 mg/kg, respectively, and made up 88.6% (40.46 mg/kg) of the arsenic in the hijiki. Among the samples, the highest inorganic arsenic concentration was identified at 9.19 mg/kg (wet), and for an adult with a body weight of 60 kg was within an acceptable level as 0.7% (6.43 µg/60 kg/week) when compared with the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) (900 µg/60 kg/week), and would be considered safe with respect to health-hazardous effects.