Proximate and Heavy Metals Composition of Clam Galatea Schwabi (Clench, 1929) From the Lower Sanaga, Cameroon

Abstract

The clam Galatea schwabi is a bivalve found in the lower Sanaga, and exploited by local people for its meat and shell. This research aimed to determine the proximate and heavy metals (Cd, Pb and Hg) composition contained in fresh and smoked clam meat by standard analytical methods. Fresh clam meat was collected from the fishing area and smoked from Yakalak and Malimba Districts. The results showed a significant difference in the water, protein, lipid, and mineral content of smoked clams in Yakalak and Malimba District, except for the ash content which was similar in the different areas studied. The clam harvested in the lower Sanaga, regardless of its commercialized form is rich in proteins with 27,31 ± 0,27% in fresh, for the smoked clams 59,85 ± 0,24% in Yakalak, 34,66 ± 0,13% in Malimba District, and minerals Ca, Mg and Na. The concentration of heavy metals Pb and Cd in fresh and smoked G. schwabi meat is above the WHO recommended tolerance limits, while Hg is below the same standard. The highest concentrations of heavy metals were observed in smoked clams from Malimba District. Although that G. schwabi clam constitutes an alternative source of nutrients for human and animal, the high concentration of heavy metals, show that the resource is subject to the effects of anthropic activity, and consuming it would be a risk for consumers.