Effect of preparation and cooking on contaminant distributions in crustaceans: PCBs in Blue Crab

This study quantitated the changes in the distribution of PCBs in blue crab caused by boiling or steaming. Since blue crabs are cooked whole, there is the potential for residue transfer from highly contaminated organs such as the hepatopancreas during cooking. Thus crabs were boiled with and without the hepatopancreas. Since levels of PCBs from crustacean to crustacean may vary more than the effect of cooking, quantitating loss must be based on the best estimate of residues in an individual crab's tissues. The basic assumption of this study was that the concentration of PCBs in the right and left claw muscles would be the same