Trace metal content in mussels, Perna viridis L., obtained from selected seafood markets in a Metropolitan City.

Mussels, Perna viridis L., obtained from three selected seafood markets in Metro Manila, were tested for metal content including cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc through atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Water samples from Bacoor Bay, Cavite, which supplies mussels to the market, were likewise subjected to similar metal analyses. Of the metals analyzed in the soft tissues of mussels, only copper and lead with highest obtained values of 10.4 mg/kg and 2.3 mg/kg, respectively exceeded the PEMSEA guideline for safe human consumption. Water samples collected from the harvest sites in Bacoor Bay showed high concentrations of cadmium (0.023 mg/L) and lead (0.25 mg/L) that exceeded the standards of DENR, ASEAN, and US EPA. Zinc, though detected in relatively high concentrations in both water (0.03 mg/L) and soft tissues (12.16-14.43 mg/kg) of mussels remained below the criteria set by the above-mentioned agencies. Overall, the present study indicates that mussels being sold in selected Metro Manila seafood markets were contaminated with metals, notably Cu and Pb, at concentrations that are unsafe for human consumption and thus, represents a health risk.