Chapter 12
Distribution of Cd, Pb, As and Hg in Oyster
Tissue, Sediment and Water in Lingayen
Gulf, Philippines
Reivin T. Vinarao, Gielenny M. Salem, and Rosario J. Ragaza
Introduction
Seafood safety has become a primary consideration in managing fish and other fish
products in the Philippines. Being an archipelagic country, the majority of its fishery
resources are derived in major coastal fishing grounds including bays and gulfs.
The multitude of food and environmental hazards which may possibly harm living
organisms, especially from human sources may come from microbiological and
chemical contaminants, the latter including heavy metals. Caution should therefore
be employed especially for heavy metals that are capable of being absorbed by
fish, shellfish and other consumable aquatic resources which can be vectors of
contamination.
Lingayen Gulf is a major traditional fishing ground in the Philippines (Silvestre
and Hilomen 2004) that sustains subsistence and commercial fishing, as well as vast
aquaculture activities using fish pens, cages and traps. The coastal communities of
Lingayen Gulf also support the beach and resort tourism industry of Pangasinan
Province. The Gulf is the major source of oysters in the Northern Philippines. Since
the start of oyster industry in 1979, major production comes from the municipal
farming grounds of Lingayen Gulf and are regularly distributed in Pangasinan
and its neighboring provinces (BAS 2009). The oyster industry has continuously
provided a cheap source of protein available to a large array of consumers. Hence it
is imperative that food safety be one of the primary considerations in managing the
industry and the coastal environment where these resources are derived.
R.T. Vinarao () • G.M. Salem • R.J. Ragaza
Post Harvest Research and Development Division, National Fisheries Research
and Development Institute, 101 Mother Ignacia Avenue, South Triangle,
Quezon City, Philippines
e-mail: rtvinarao@uplb.edu.ph; taikyoku@yahoo.com
G. Sauv´ e (ed.), Molluscan Shellfish Safety, DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-6588-7 12,
© Springer ScienceCBusiness Media Dordrecht 2014
137
Distribution of Cd, Pb, As and Hg in Oyster
Tissue, Sediment and Water in Lingayen
Gulf, Philippines
Reivin T. Vinarao, Gielenny M. Salem, and Rosario J. Ragaza
Introduction
Seafood safety has become a primary consideration in managing fish and other fish
products in the Philippines. Being an archipelagic country, the majority of its fishery
resources are derived in major coastal fishing grounds including bays and gulfs.
The multitude of food and environmental hazards which may possibly harm living
organisms, especially from human sources may come from microbiological and
chemical contaminants, the latter including heavy metals. Caution should therefore
be employed especially for heavy metals that are capable of being absorbed by
fish, shellfish and other consumable aquatic resources which can be vectors of
contamination.
Lingayen Gulf is a major traditional fishing ground in the Philippines (Silvestre
and Hilomen 2004) that sustains subsistence and commercial fishing, as well as vast
aquaculture activities using fish pens, cages and traps. The coastal communities of
Lingayen Gulf also support the beach and resort tourism industry of Pangasinan
Province. The Gulf is the major source of oysters in the Northern Philippines. Since
the start of oyster industry in 1979, major production comes from the municipal
farming grounds of Lingayen Gulf and are regularly distributed in Pangasinan
and its neighboring provinces (BAS 2009). The oyster industry has continuously
provided a cheap source of protein available to a large array of consumers. Hence it
is imperative that food safety be one of the primary considerations in managing the
industry and the coastal environment where these resources are derived.
R.T. Vinarao () • G.M. Salem • R.J. Ragaza
Post Harvest Research and Development Division, National Fisheries Research
and Development Institute, 101 Mother Ignacia Avenue, South Triangle,
Quezon City, Philippines
e-mail: rtvinarao@uplb.edu.ph; taikyoku@yahoo.com
G. Sauv´ e (ed.), Molluscan Shellfish Safety, DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-6588-7 12,
© Springer ScienceCBusiness Media Dordrecht 2014
137