Report from the U. S. Food and Drug Administration
This document has been developed to satisfy requests from local and state officials for federal guidance regarding the public health significance of arsenic in shellfish. (The term "shellfish" is used in a general sense throughout this document and is meant to include both molluscan bivalves and crustacea.) This document is designed to assist local and state health officials in their deliberations concerning the possible need to either issue consumption advisories or to close waters for fishing because of excessive arsenic contamination. The contents of this document include sections on FDA's statutory authority, a public health statement, sampling techniques and trace element analysis, consumption and exposure information, hazard assessment, and a discussion of estimating levels of concern for local consumption advisories or water closures.