ASSESSMENT OF HEAVY METAL CONTAMINATION IN SQUID (LOLIGO SPP.) TISSUES OF KEDAH-PERLIS WATERS, MALAYSIA

This study was carried out to determine the concentration of selected heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn) in three different tissues collected from the ink-sac, head, and muscle of the squid. Squid samples were caught off the coastal waters of Kedah-Perlis, where only mature squids within the maturity size-range of 13 to 15 cm were used. From this study, the concentration of Zn (35.06±4.06 mg/kg in dry weight) was found significantly higher in all of the tissues, followed by Cu (15.10±13.28 mg/kg in dry weight), Cd (4.76±3.77 mg/kg in dry weight), and Pb with an average value of 4.01±0.08 mg/kg in dry weight. From this study, it was discovered that Zn and Cu concentrations in the tissues were lower than the maximum limit recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organization, Malaysian Food Regulation (1985), as well as other countries. Meanwhile, both non-essential elements namely Cd and Pb recorded higher values than that of the recommended concentrations. According to the Metal Pollution Index (MPI), the ink-sac indicated medium-range contamination, while the head and muscle tissues showed low contamination levels.