Heavy metal concentration of freshwater fish on aquaculture activity at Pahang river and its potential health risk / Syahidah Mahaudin

Heavy metal in fish is one of the concern in food safety especially on aquaculture activity of freshwater fish as it may lead to a lot of adverse health effect to human. Pangasius hypophthalmus or Patin fish is a popular fish among people as being trademark for Temerloh District. This study aims to determine the concentration of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) in water and fish and the physicochemical parameters for water sample including pH, temperature, dissolve oxygen (DO) and turbidity were measured. A cross-sectional study was carried out involving thirty samples of fish and nine samples of water were taken at three sampling locations (Cage 1=Kg. Bangau Tanjung, Cage 2=Kg. Tengah and Cage 3=Kg. Lompat). Samples were analyzed by using
Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (GFAAS) and One-way ANOVA test was used to determine the mean difference between fish in three sampling
locations. The order of the heavy metal content that was found is Zn > Pb > Cd > Cu in fish while Pb > Zn > Cu > Cd was also observed in water which Kg. Lompat shows the
highest concentration of heavy metals for both samples. All fish samples were below the permissible limit by Malaysian Food Act 1983 (Food Regulation 1985) and FAO/WHO
while all water samples were below the recommended values by INWQS, 2008 respectively. Mean concentration of heavy metal in fish slightly higher than in water that
called bioaccumulation process. The health risk assessment was conducted showed that Target Hazard Quotient (THQ) value for all fish were below 1 indicating no potential
adverse health effect and Carcinogenic Risk (CR) for Pb, within the range of 10-4 to 10-6 as shows no risk of developing cancer to human due to consumption of Patin fish. Hence, the consumption of freshwater fish, Pangasius hypophthalmus from Temerloh, Pahang are safe to eat and not pose any serious threat to human.