Heavy metal levels in blood cockle from south Vietnam coastal waters

The blood cockle, Anadara granosa, is a favoured bivalve mollusc species of Vietnamese people. Since the cockle is a filter feeder, heavy metals (HM) in the mudflat and natural food tend to accumulate in its tissues. This study was conducted to evaluate the concentrations of HMs (As, Cd, Hg, and Pb) in soft tissues of cockles from the southern coast provinces of Vietnam. Levels of HMs in the cockle were then used to estimate biota-sediment accumulation factor (BSAF) and human health risk. The results showed that the concentrations of HMs generally did not differ significantly among provinces. The highest BSAF value was found for Cd in the cockle. The estimated target hazard quotients and hazard indices for HMs via consuming cockle were <1, implying that consumers would not experience the non-carcinogenic risk. It is essential that routine monitoring programs of HM levels in cockles are established.