Abstract: Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) is a new and important marine resource. The safety for human consumption of Antarctic krill and its products has gained extensive attention. Particularly, the application of Antarctic krill oil in healthy products and dietary supplements is limited due to its relatively high total arsenic content. In this study, total arsenic and inorganic arsenic contents of Antarctic krill and its products were analyzed respectively by hydride generation-atomic fluorescence spectrometry and liquid chromatography-atomic fluorescence spectrometry, and on the basis of the data obtained together with Antarctic krill consumption data, the dietary arsenic exposure and the safety of consumption of Antarctic krill products were assessed by the point estimation method. The results showed that total arsenic contents were less than 0.50 mg/kg in whole shrimp and meat, but relatively high in Antarctic krill powder, Antarctic krill oil and its capsule products, and that inorganic arsenic contents of Antarctic krill and its products were generally less than 0.050 mg/kg. The dietary exposure level of inorganic arsenic from Antarctic krill oil was negligible. Long-term consumption of Antarctic krill oil would not increase total dietary intake of inorganic arsenic. Therefore, Antarctic krill and its products can be widely used as a safe and high-quality ingredient in foods, feed and healthcare products.

Key words: Antarctic krill, Antarctic krill products, total arsenic, inorganic arsenic, safety evaluation