Metal concentrations and potential health risk in clam (Meretrix lyrata Sowerby 1851) tissues from East Java Coast, Indonesia

The presence of Hg, Cu, Cr, Cd, Pb, and Zn in clam (Meretrix lyrata) from the East Java Coast (EJC), Indonesia, is reported in this study. Metal levels in clam whole tissues were Zn > Cu > Cr > Pb > Cd > Hg. Cr, Cd, and Pb levels in clam tissue surpassed the tolerated limit for eating and the provisional acceptable weekly intake (PTWI) at numerous places along the EJC. The target hazard quotients (THQs) for Cr, Cd, and Pb were greater than one in several locations, indicating that these metals could be harmful to consumers (particularly non-carcinogenic impacts). Eating clams from this area may be detrimental to human health. Furthermore, target cancer risk (TCR) values for Cr and Cd were greater than 10⁻⁴ in several locations, implying that Cr and Cd could cause cancer in people over the course of a lifetime of exposure.