Toxicity of heavy metals in meretrix meretrix and anadara granosa from Balok River at Kuantan Pahang, Malaysia

A study was conducted to determine the concentrations of heavy metals Aluminium (Al), Iron (Fe), Cadmium (Cd) and Lead (Pb) in the soft tissues molluscs collected from Balok River at Kuantan, Pahang. Balok River was located near the Kuantan Port. Kuantan port was temporary storage of bauxite mining prior to being exported to China for mineral processing. Sampling was carried out during monsoon season and dry season. The molluscs were collected using digger and hand picking. Soft tissues of molluscs was digest by using Acid Digestion method and analyze using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Fe, Al, Cd and Pb in water sample are natural level in Class of River based on National Water Quality Standard from Department of Environment (DOE), 2014. Mean concentration of Al, Fe, Cd and Pb (mg/kg dry weight) during monsoon and dry season in the soft tissue of Meretrix meretrix were 52.3000+8.6000, 104.3222+17.2529, 0.0349+0.0012, and 0.2701+0.0602 respectively while for Anadara granosa were 43.8845+26.9467, 115.4073+54.8871, 0.1592+0.2670, and 0.2056+0.1165 respectively. The toxicity of metals in the soft tissue flowed in both Meretrix meretrix and Anadara granosa were in order of Fe>Al>Pb>Cd. All heavy metals concentration was lower in the soft tissues of both Meretrix meretrix and Anadara compares to the previous studies. The concentration of all heavy metals in molluscs was below the permissible limit according to Malaysia Food Act (MFA, 1983), World Health Organization (WHO, 1982) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA, 2001)