Food Contaminants - Heavy Metals and Toxic Substances

Toxic "heavy" metals present in marine water accumulate in shellfish flesh. Elements tested for regulatory monitoring include Arsenic, Mercury, Lead, Cadmium, Copper, Antimony, Zinc, Chromium and Nickel.

Metal pollution may occur from direct sources (industrial and agricultural run-off) and indirect (undersea geothermal activity). A sanitary survey of any growing area may indicate the risk of pollution from other toxic substances e.g. pesticides and other organic pollutants.

Our services include:

• Regulatory monitoring for NZFSA commercial and non-comercial programmes
• Marine biotoxins routinely analysed:
  - Paralytic shellfish poison
  - Amnesic shellfish poison (Domoic acid)
  - Neurotoxic shellfish poison
  - Diarrhetic shellfish poison
• Water toxicity tests
• Cyanobacterial toxins
• Shellfish toxicity tests
• Algal toxicity tests
• Bioassay, ELISA, GLC, HRGCMS, HPLC, LCMS, ICP.OES and ICP.MS methods
• Heavy metals tests
• Pesticides and other organic pollutants
• Research and consultation
• Method development and validation
• Toxin isolation and rdentification
• Microbiological quality assessment tests (general microbiology and pathogens)
• National and international capability