Contamination by heavy metals in cockles (Anadara Granosa) from selected wet markets in the Klang Valley / Hazariah Md Hisma

Red blood cockle, Anadara granosa were collected from eleven different wet markets in the Klang Valley. The samples were analyzed for zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), antimony (Sb), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg) and arsenic (As). The metal concentrations (mg/kg wet weight) in the cockles ranged from 6.63 to 13.45 for Zn, 0.004 to 0.91 for Cd, 0.43 to 2.36 for Sb, 1.32 to 25.22 for Pb, 0.01 to 0.48 for Hg and 0.02 to 0.38 for As. These metal concentrations were below the maximum permissible levels set by the Malaysian Food Regulations (1985) and Food Standards Australia and New Zealand except for lead and antimony. Potential health risk was measured based on the Hazard Index. Hazard Index of the metals in the cockles in this present study showed that the consumption of cockles was not risky and any risk is dependent on the amount of cockles consumed by the study population.