Evaluation of Selected Heavy Metals (Zn, Cd, Pb and Mn) in Shrimp (Acetes indicus) from Malacca and Kedah, Peninsular Malaysia

Environmental pollution has become a source of concern and inconvenience to the world, the study was conducted to evaluate some selected heavy metals on Acetes shrimp. The present research project was undertaken to determine heavy metal (Zn, Cd, Pb and Mn) in the tissue of shrimp (Acetes indicus) in two different sites (Malacca and Kedah) on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Samples were collected in this study during the months August, September, October and November and determine the concentrations of heavy metals zinc, lead, cadmium and manganese by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results show that in general, the highest heavy metals concentrations were detected in samples taken from Malacca than Kedah. The heavy metal concentration in this shrimp varied significantly depending upon the months and sample station from where the shrimp was collected. In Malacca, the highest concentration level of Zn was detected in the Acetes shrimp (45.79±2.54 μg g-1 dry weight) in October 2010 followed by that of Kedah reported in September (45.08±2.93 μg g-1). The highest concentration level of Cd was detected in Acetes at Malacca 0.83±0.64 μg g-1 in September, whereas it was 0.21±0.04 μg g-1 in November at Kedah while the highest concentration level of Pb was recorded in Malacca which was 1.29±0.85 μg g-1 in September while it was 0.55±0.12 μg g-1 in October at Kedah. The highest concentration level of Mn was detected in A. indicus in Malacca recorded 6.95±1.19 μg g-1 in August while it was 6.10±1.01 μg g-1 in November at Kedah. However, the concentrations of heavy metals in Acetes indicus collected from Malacca and Kedah were within the permissible levels and are safe for the human consumption and public health.