Undergraduate Research Article: Determination of Cadmium, Cobalt, and Lead in Oysters From Southwest Louisiana by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

Flame atomic absorption spectrometry was used to determine cadmium, cobalt, and lead in oysters collected from an oyster field in West Cove, Southwest Louisiana, in two separate months (November and December) in 2007. In November, the mean, standard deviations, and range of the concentrations (mu g/g) of cadmium were 58.6, +/- 15.3, 34.7-78.5; of cobalt were 27.5, +/- 3.9, 22.2-32.8; and of lead were 212.6, +/- 39.7, 131.0-269.2. In December, the mean, standard deviation, and range of the concentrations (mu g/g) of cadmium were 73.7, +/- 26.3, 24.7-107.8; of cobalt were 46.9, +/- 8.0, 32.6-57.4; and of lead were 279.6, +/- 69.2, 147.3-355.0. Differences in concentrations for all three metals in the colder waters of December were noted.