A Study of Heavy Metals Contents of the Seaweeds at Various Area in Korea

지역별 해조류의 중금속 함량

To measure the contents of several heavy metal elements (Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Hg, Pb) in Korean seaweeds which are closely related to food resources, various seaweed samples were collected from thirteen to seventeen seaweed-producing districts. The results obtained from the experiment are summarized as follows: 1. The content of heavy metal elements in seaweeds of individual sample ranged from 0.0005 to 25.0373 ppm. Their mean levels were as follows: laver, 0.0024∼3.9297 ppm; sea lettuce, 0.0011∼25.0373 ppm; sea mustard, 0.0005∼23.5071 ppm; sea tangle, 0.0006∼4.8550 ppm. The mean levels of Cd and Pb were specially low in the samples collected from the area II in Kangwon and area Ⅸ in Kyungbook. 2. The mean levels of heavy metal elements of collected samples ranged from 0.0117 to 4.4944 ppm. Laver showed the lowest level of Hg and sea lettuce showed the highest level of Mn. Their mean levels of elements were as follows: laver, 0.0117∼2.3339 ppm; sea lettuce,0.0232∼4.4944 ppm; sea mustard, 0.0129∼1.5139 ppm and sea tangle, 0.0182∼1.7410 ppm. 3. The mean levels of heavy metal elements from several locations ranged from 0.0085 ppm to 8.4148 ppm. The mean levels of heavy metal elements in sea mustard from area V of Kyungbook were the lowest, but the mean levels of heavy metal elements in sea lettuce from area Ⅷ of Kyungnam were the highest. The mean level of heavy metal elements were as follows: laver, 0.3613∼1.1124 ppm; sea lettuce, 0.1415∼8.4148 ppm; sea mustard, 0.0729-3.1182 ppm; sea tangle, 0.0085∼0.7587 ppm. 4. Generally the heavy metal elements were detected in the seaweed samples from all locations. The mean levels of heavy metal elements varied with locations and kinds of samples. The levels of heavy metals of the samples taken from all locations from the East Sea, the South Sea, and the West Sea areas showed 99% safety range.