TITLE:
Health Risk Assessment Due to Heavy Metals Exposure via Consumption of Bivalves Harvested from Marudu Bay, Malaysia
AUTHORS:
Delta Jenetty Denil, Ching Fui Fui, Julian Ransangan
KEYWORDS:
Health Risk Assessment, Heavy Metal, Bivalves, Marudu Bay
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Marine Science,
Vol.7 No.4,
October
20,
2017
ABSTRACT: Concern over health risk from consumption of bivalves originating from Marudu
Bay is escalating due to the rapid agricultural development surrounding
the bay. This has motivated us to estimate the health risk index (HRI) of
heavy metals from four commercially important and highly exploited bivalve
species which are abundant in the bay. Samples (n = 30) of green mussel
(Perna viridis), Asiatic hard clam (Meretrix meretrix), Pacific oyster (Crassosstrea
gigas) and marsh clam (Polymesoda expans) were acquired from fishermen
in Kg. Teritipan, Marudu Bay. These bivalves were analyzed for
heavy metals content using the Inductively Couples Plasma-Optical Emission
Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The study found that the mean contents of Arsenic
(As) and Manganese (Mn) in all analyzed bivalves exceeded the permissible
limits as well as copper (Cu), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) in Pacific oyster, and Zn
in marsh clam. It was also noticed that consumption of different bivalve species
may bring about health risk from different metals as indicated by varied
Total Hazard Index (THI) values. Consumption of the four bivalves was noticed
to promote high health risk from As intoxication. Although metal pollution
index (MPI) analysis revealed that the bivalves from the bay are currently
not seriously impacted by heavy metal pollution, vigorous efforts should be
taken to preserve the natural condition of the bay for years to come. There are
several ways to minimize health issues from bivalve consumption which include
keeping the bivalve natural habitat away from heavy metals pollution by
strictly enforcing environmental laws and policies, establishing zones for bivalve
fisheries, monitoring heavy metals concentration in bivalve on a regular
basis and making depuration process a compulsory requirement in every seafood
restaurant throughout the country.