Element concentrations in shell of Pinctada margaritifera from French Polynesia and evaluation for using as a food supplement

Element concentrations in shell of Pinctada margaritifera (black-lip pearl oyster) from Manihi, French Polynesia, were measured with Inductively Coupled Plasma – Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES). The respective average concentrations were: calcium (Ca) 396.4 mg/g, sodium (Na) 5.536 mg/g, magnesium (Mg) 2.136 mg/g, strontium (Sr) 890.6 ppm, iron (Fe) 67.89 ppm, aluminum (Al) 45.74 ppm, phosphorus (P) 27.19 ppm, boron (B) 12.17 ppm, manganese (Mn) 2.308 ppm, copper (Cu) 1.050 ppm, zinc (Zn) 0.7180 ppm; and nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and vanadium (V) were below detection limits with ICP-AES.The above concentrations were normalized and compared to the safety standards for human consumption determined by regulatory agencies of United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU), and the United States (US). Element concentrations detected in this study were all lower than the safety standards promulgated by regulatory agencies. These findings suggest that shells of P. margaritifera from Manihi, French Polynesia, do not raise any significant health concerns for human consumption. The shell of P. margaritifera thus potentially represents an important natural source for calcium-fortified foods, calcium supplement, and even for potential osteogenesis applications.