Determination of Selected Toxic Metal (As, Cd, Pb) and Essential (Zn, Cu) Elements in Local Canned Seafood Products

In this study, the concentrations of selected toxic metals (Pb, As, Cd) and essential elements (Zn, Cu) of local canned seafood including sardines, tuna, anchovies, shellfish (mussels and cockles), prawns, mackerel and cuttlefish were determined. All 30 samples were purchased from supermarkets in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan. The highest concentration of trace metals in all samples was Zn which is 38.96 +/- 0.56 mg/kg, followed by Cu (2.40 +/- 0.57 mg/kg), Pb (1.71 +/- 0.71 mg/kg), As (0.96 +/- 0.70 mg/kg) and Cd (0.25 +/- 0.70 mg/kg). The average concentration of toxic elements were the highest in anchovy species with concentration of 6.93 mg/kg followed by shellfish (4.24 mg/kg), mixed seafood (4.17 mg/kg), cuttlefish (3.63 mg/kg), prawns (3.28 mg/kg), sardines (2.65 mg/kg), tuna (1.68 mg/kg) and the lowest which is mackerel (1.36 mg/kg). The results were compared with the previous studies.