THE STATUS OF HEAVY METALS CONTAMINATION IN SEAFOOD AND ITS PRODUCTS IMPORTED THROUGH THE BUKIT KAYU HITAM ENTRY POINT
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37268/mjphm/vol.2/no.1/art.1228Keywords:
Heavymetals, seafoods, FoodActAbstract
The status of five heavy metals: cadmium, lead, copper, zinc and mercury were determined in seafood and its products imported from Thailand via Bukit Kayu Hitam, Kedah. Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer was used to determine the level of these heavy metals except for mercury, where the cold vapor technique was used. Randomized sampling was done according to a predetermined sampling plan based on the previous years consignments. Data collected were compared with the maximum permitted level of metal contaminants in fish and fish products of the Fourteenth Schedule (Regulation 38) of Food Act 1983 and Food Regulations 1985 to ascertain compliance. It was noted from this study, that the level of metals detected in seafood and its products had a very wide range. The levels detected/or cadmium was at a range of 0.001 - 3.9 I 2, 0.07 - 0.29, 0.04 - 4.41 mg/kg in fish, shellfish and cuttlefish respectively. In general, cadmium level in some samples was notably higher particularly in shellfish. All samples had lead level less than the permitted value except for fish where the highest value detected was 3.28 mg/kg. The level of copper and zinc was higher than the permitted value in octopus, prawn and crab. Mercury level in all samples analyzed was found to be below the detection level. As for fish samples, zinc level was found to be higher whereas copper was within the limit. However, it was also noted that the level of all the heavy metals in frozen fish was within the permitted limit.
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