Heavy metals in molluscan, crustacean, and other commercially important Chilean marine coastal water species

Tabulated data are presented on the concentrations of 10 heavy metals in 12 commercially important species of marine organism (7 molluscs, 3 crustaceans, and 2 other species of shellfish), collected from coastal waters of Chile. A map showing sampling locations is included. All the metals except mercury and selenium were accumulated to a greater or lesser extent by all the species examined. Mercury was not detected in any of the specimens, and selenium was found only at very low concentrations. Some of the metals (zinc, cadmium, copper, and lead) were present in concentrations higher than the permissible maximal concentrations for food, and the implications of this are considered.