^aOffice of Scientific Support for Risk Assessment, Agence française de sécurité sanitaire des aliments (French Food Safety Agency), Maisons-Alfort cedex, France

Correspondence: V. Sirot, AFSSA, 27-31 avenue du Général Leclerc, Maisons-Alfort cedex 94701, France. Tel.: +33 1 49 77 38 07; Fax: +33 1 49 77 38 92; E-mail: v.sirot@afssa.fr

Received 22 January 2007; Accepted 25 May 2007; Published online 19 September 2007.

Abstract

Seafood and especially mollusks are known to be a rich source of cadmium (Cd), but little data are available concerning French seafood contamination and Cd exposure of French populations. The objective was then to assess food intake and biological level of Cd in high consumers of seafood, and to determine the impact of the consumption of self-fished mollusks on urinary Cd. Seafood consumption levels of 80 products were assessed for 1011 high consumers aged 18 and over in four French coastal areas, thanks to a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). According to a total diet study approach, seafood samples were collected taking into account preservation methods and supply habits. Food samples were analyzed for Cd. Exposure was assessed by crossing consumption data with contamination data. Total blood and urine samples were collected from 380 subjects of the cohort and analyzed for Cd. The impact of the self-collected mollusks consumption on the Cd biological level adjusted for creatinine was assessed by a multivariate linear regression model. The mean dietary intake of Cd is 2.443.34 g/kg bw/wk and the mean urinary Cd (U-Cd) level is 0.650.45 g/g creatinine, and is significantly higher in women than in men (P<0.05). The consumption of self-fished mollusks is significantly negatively associated with U-Cd (r=- 0.11 [ - 0.185, - 0.009] , P=0.03). The results of this study indicate that the biological Cd levels remain below the standards, and also suggest a protective effect of self-fishing, which inspires confidence about the high consumer health safety in terms of Cd exposure.