Summary
This 2024 study from Brunei Darussalam developed and applied a simultaneous microwave digestion method to measure both total arsenic and inorganic arsenic in local shrimp and prawn commodities. The work addresses the regulatory and safety monitoring need in Brunei for crustacean arsenic, where total arsenic is often high but the toxicologically relevant inorganic arsenic (iAs) fraction is typically low. The simultaneous digestion approach reduces sample preparation time compared to sequential analysis.
Key numbers
Specific concentration values were not fully extractable from the available PDF pages. The study confirmed that iAs constitutes a small fraction of total arsenic in crustaceans (consistent with the broader literature showing dominance of organic arsenic species such as arsenobetaine in shrimp and prawn). The analytical method achieved satisfactory recovery and precision for both total and inorganic arsenic fractions simultaneously.
Methods
Simultaneous microwave acid digestion for total arsenic and inorganic arsenic in a single digestion step. ICP-MS detection. Applied to local shrimp and prawn commodities purchased from Brunei Darussalam markets. Method developed for regulatory monitoring purposes.
Implications
Confirms the importance of speciated (iAs-specific) measurement in crustaceans rather than relying on total arsenic, which overestimates toxicological risk in seafood matrices. The simultaneous digestion method is applicable to routine food safety monitoring in regulatory contexts. Crustaceans are generally low-risk for iAs despite high total arsenic because organic arsenicals dominate.
Related evidence
Update history
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