Assessment of Metal Distribution in Various Tissues of Wild-Caught and Cultured Pangasius sp.

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the spatial distribution of metals (Na, Mg, K, Ca, Cr, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Cd and Pb) in various tissues (muscle, liver, gills) of Pangasius sp. living in Sungai Selangor and a nearby aquaculture farm using microwave-assisted digestion/inductively-coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. The results demonstrated that the pattern of metal accumulation is dependent on the type of tissue, although such variations are subjected to their metabolism. In general, the liver contained higher concentrations of metals, followed by gills and muscle tissue. The concentration of heavy metals (As, Pb) indicated the presence of anthropogenic input. In terms of risk assessment, the toxic metal concentrations in the muscle of Pangasius sp. were significantly lower than hazardous limits. In general, Hemibagrus sp. from Sungai Selangor was found to contain elevated concentrations of hazardous metals such as As, Se and Pb (p < 0.05) than those from the aquaculture farm.