Elemental analysis of mussels and possible health risks arising from their consumption as a food: The case of Boka Kotorska Bay, Adriatic Sea

• Essential and nonessential elements in the mussels were investigated.
• Risks to human health and safety by mussel consumption were evaluated.
• The limiting factor for the cultivated mussel consumption is Zr.
• The limiting factors were Cr and As for the wild mussel consumption.
• Statistical techniques differentiate the chemical composition and locations of mussel.

The present study investigated the essential and non-essential elements in cultivated and wild mussels and assessed the health risk arising from their consumption as an impact of rapid growth and intensive production of Mytilus galloprovincialis in the mussel farms of the Boka Kotorska Bay. The concentrations of macro, micro, nonessential and even the small amounts of potentially toxic elements in the cultivated and wild mussels were influenced by industry, tourism and the geohydrology of the Bay. In the case of cultivated mussels, the limiting factor, i.e., the element the elevated concentration of which restricts mussels consumption, was Zr, while in the case of wild mussels the limiting factors were Cr and As. The sites with cultivated mussels stand out as sites with the highest calculated element pollution index, the total hazard index and with higher estimated risk to the health of consumers.