Detection of Arsenic (As) and Copper (Cu) in Mud Crabs (Scylla serrata) and in Water Samples at Sungai Balok, Pahang

The study was aimed to determine the level of arsenic (As) and copper (Cu) in organs of mud crabs (gills and tissues), Scylla serrata and in river water at Sungai Balok, Pahang. The mud crabs (n=8) and water samples were collected from five sampling stations in Sungai Balok. The study also determined the water quality parameters and Water Quality Index (WQI) of Sungai Balok. The mud crabs’ tissues and gills were digested by using acid digestion method based on the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC). The concentration of heavy metals in mud crabs’ tissues and gills as well as the river water samples were analysed by using Inductive Coupled Plasma Micro Spectrometer (ICP-MS). The present result showed The highest content level of As and Cu in mud crabs’ tissue and gills was during dry seasons (March 2019) 3.03 ± 0.64 & 0.38 ± 0.16 ppm and 7.57 ± 0.72 & 6.98 ± 0.53 ppm. The level of As and Cu showed that there were significantly different (p<0.05) in mud crabs’ tissue and gills. Content level of both As and Cu in the water was 0.02 ± 0.01 ppm. The As and Cu levels in mud crabs were higher than the permissible limits from World Health Organisation (2012), Federation of European Producers of Abrasives(FEPA) and Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). The As and Cu levels in Sungai Balok water were lower than the permissible limit from World Health Organisation (WHO) and Federation of European Producers of Abrasives. The WQI for Sungai Balok water was classified in Class III according to National Water Quality Standards for Malaysia (NWQS), which means the water was slightly polluted. Keywords: Scylla serrata, heavy metals, water quality, ICP-M