Distribution of Cd in Biological Materials Part 2

Cadmium and Zinc contents of Foodstuffs

Abstract

Cadmium and Zinc contents of 340 different samples of foodstuffs on the market in Japan were quantitatively determined by the Atomic Absorption Spectrographic means.
It was found that Cadmium levels in the grain and vegetables of Japan were not higher than that of the U. S. A. or Germany.
Generally, it was found that the organs of sea Mollusca and Crustacea contained higher levels of Cadmium and very high values were ovserved in the livers of some sea mollusca; for example 10-110ppm in livers of some cuttlefish, 92-420ppm in that of Babylonia Japonica, a kind of roll shell.
Regarding Zinc contents, levels were high in pulses and low in fruit in the case of vegetable foodstuffs.
In animal foodstuffs, Zinc contents in the flesh were slightly lower than in the organs but in the case of Cadmium very much lower, thus the ratios of Cd/Zn are very low in flesh.