Estimation of the Cd intake in the human dietary from the shellfish caught in the seashore of Charente-Maritime (France)

International audienceGironde inputs leads to a Cd enrichment of the waters of Charente-Maritime. This presentation describes the potential risk of Cd ingestion due to the seashells by some inhabitants of the coasts of Charente-Maritime. Wild oysters analysed along the coasts showed a good correlation between Cd concentrations in their tissues and the distance from the Gironde estuary, with minimum values in the north of the department and the maximum values in the estuary where shellfish collection is by the way forbidden. These results have allowed us to choose five different sites situated along the Cd gradient in which the major species consumed seashells collectors have been sampled for Cd analysis. The Cd intake due to the seashells consumption has been assessed by the Cd concentrations found in these species which have been compared with the Cd Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (PTWI) of 7 μg/kg. This consumption is added to the normal Cd intake due to the food and drinks estimated to 38 % of the PTWI (investigation of the "Direction Générale de la Santé", 1995). As an example, the weekly consumption of 300-400 g of scallops Chlamys varia from Château d'Oléron by a man of 65 kg is sufficient to reach the PTWI. On the contrary, the weekly consumption of 10-13 kg of edible cockles Cerastoderma edule from the same site are necessary to reach the PTWI. The scientific investigation carried out in the aim to determine the levels of seashells consumption in Charente-Maritime allowed to determine three different categories of consumers: -- category 1, middle consumers : 6.5 kg of seashells per year (including 2.6 kg of oysters) -- category 2, high consumers : 13.2 kg of seashells per year (including 8.5 kg of oysters) -- category 3, very high consumers : 38.5 kg of seashells per year (including 24.8 kg of oysters) According to the seashell ratio determined in this investigation, our results show that for all consumers of seashells collected in Charente- Maritime out of the Gironde estuary, the Provisional Cd Tolerable Weekly Intake is never reached even for the very high consumers