Assessment of selected heavy metals concentration in canned tuna / Fitri Norizatie Mohd Salehin

The presences of heavy metals in environment can cause danger to food and
human health. Moreover, it can accumulate in aquatic animals such fish.
The objective of this study was conducted to determine concentration of
heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Zn, Fe) in canned tuna samples. In this study, three
popular brands of canned tuna was purchased from local markets in
Malaysia with three samples for each brand and were determine by using
inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES). The
range obtained from the elements analysed in (mg/kg) as follow: 0.117 0.167
mg/kg, 0.0 - 0.05 mg/kg, 6.77 - 15.25 mg/kg, and 7.6 - 17.88 mg/kg
for Pb, Cd, Zn, and Fe. Based on the data obtained, Zn and Cd were below
permissible limits while of Pb and Fe was slightly increased (>0.02 mg/kg)
and (>15.0 mg/kg) from the permissible limits level according to European
Communities (Commission of European Communities, 2001), Turkish Food
Codex and Food Additives and Contaminants (CCFAC, 2001). However,
the concentration of heavy metals in all canned tuna is still low and will not
give a harmful effect on human health.