Assessment of heavy metals in different part of tilapia fish (oreochromis niloticus) and their potential health risk / Ratna Ismail

This study was conducted to ascertain the levels of heavy metals, namely lead, cadmium, zinc and copper in liver, gills and muscle tissues of Tilapia fish (Oreochromis niloticus) collected from Pasar Pasir Penambang, Kuala Selangor. They were dissected and dried before the digestion process. Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS) was used for the detection of heavy metals. The results showed
that lead, cadmium and zinc accumulate more in the gills part followed by the liver and muscle. On the contrary, copper showed highest accumulation in the liver
compared to the other parts. There were significant differences in the concentration of lead, zinc and copper between tissues of the studied fish (P< 0.05), while cadmium showed no significant difference in accumulation between selected tissues. Nevertheless, the findings from this study revealed that lead and zinc concentrations
in the edible parts on the investigated fish were higher than the permissible limit as recommended by The Malaysian Food Regulation and FAO/WHO Guideline. The
potential health risk has been identified by calculating the hazard index (HI). The result is less than 1, indicating no significant health risk to consumers. Continuous monitoring for heavy metals in fish sold to the consumers is necessary to ensure not only food safety and quality but also protect public health