Table 5.

Estimated daily intake of major toxic elements through the consumption of mussels in adults and children.

	Adults (>17 y.o.)—68.48 kg/bw—Both Genders
Toxic Element	Risk Reference Value a	EDI Average Consumer (µg/kg bw/day) b	EDI High Consumer (P97.5) (µg/kg bw/day) c
iAs d	0.30	0.07	0.22
Cd	1.00	0.21	0.65
MeHg e	0.10	0.01	0.03
Pb	6.00	0.16	0.49
	Children (7–12 y.o.)—34.48 kg/bw—Both Genders
Toxic Element	Risk Reference Value a	EDI Average Consumer (µg/kg bw/day) b	EDI High Consumer (P97.5) (µg/kg bw/day) c
iAs d	0.30	0.08	0.23
Cd	1.00	0.21	0.62
MeHg e	0.10	0.01	0.03
Pb	6.00	0.16	0.46

^a We have employed as risk reference values (RRVs) the non-carcinogen tolerable daily intake (TDI) values from the US EPA. For comparison purposes, the RRVs have been expressed in µg/kg bw/day. ^b A consumption of 31.94 g/day of preserved mussels, 22.44 g/day of fresh mussels, and 1.87 g/day of frozen mussels in adults or 11.17 g/day of preserved mussels, 15.96 g/day of fresh mussels, and 1.32 g/day of frozen mussels in children. ^c A consumption of 87.98 g/day of preserved mussels, 76.8 g/day of fresh mussels, and 6.4 g/day of frozen mussels in adults or 21.86 g/day of preserved mussels, 52.6 g/day of fresh mussels, and 4.4 g/day of frozen mussels in children. ^d Although in this work we have not made arsenic speciation, we have taken the scientific consensus with respect to arsenic in seafood as a reference, and considered that the inorganic arsenic content in mussels is 3.5% of the As measured. ^e We were not able to perform mercury speciation, but it has been established that in fish and seafood the percentage of the methyl form normally seems to vary between 50 and 80%. We were conservatively estimated that 80% of the total mercury in the mussels is in the form of methylmercury. y.o. years old.