Ecological and health risk from heavy metal exposure to fish.

Abstract

with the assistance of artisanal fishermen. The specimens were preserved in ice chest and transported to Fisheries and Aquaculture Technology Laboratory of the Federal University of Technology, Akure for sorting and Heavy metals in the gills and muscles of Sarotherodon galilaeus, Coptodon zilli, Heterobranchus isopterus and Clarias isherensis of Awara Reservoir, Ikare-Akoko Ondo State, Nigeria were assessed from February to May, 2016 using 210VGP Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer after digestion and the values were subjected to Health Risk Index and Ecological Risk Quotient. Results revealed that the observed concentration of heavy metals was generally below the permissible limit. The trend of metal accumulation in the examined four fish species was Cd<Cr<Pb<Cu<Mn<Zn, with zinc having the highest concentration in all four species. The bio-accumulation of metals was higher in family Cichlidae than the Claridae with S. galilaeus having the highest concentration. The gills bio-accumulated more metals than the muscles in all the species with the highest in S. galilaeus (Zn=0.598) and lowest in C. isherensis (Cd=0.007). Although Mn pose some level of ecological risk to S. galilaeus and H. isopterus, there was no health risk as the health risk index was below one (1). Hence, Awara reservoir is suitable for the survival of fishes and the species can be considered fit and safe for consumption. However, the fact that some levels of the examined minerals were found in the fishes calls for constant monitoring of the reservoir. AbstractEcological and health risk from heavy metal exposure to fish.

Heavy metal levels and human health risk implications associated with fish consumption from the lower Omo river (Lotic) and Omo delta lake (Lentic), Ethiopia

“…The differences in the mean levels of heavy metals between the fish tissues (liver and muscle) in this finding could be due to the ability of various metals to bind with carboxylate oxygen, the amino functional groups, and nitrogen in metal-binding proteins ( Uysal et al, 2009 ; Gure, Kedir & Abduro, 2019 ; Pramita et al, 2021 ). The variations between tissue levels of metals could also be ascribed due to differences in the physiological role of each tissue in which muscle generally accumulates lower levels of heavy metals ( Ahmed et al, 2015 ; Olawusi, Ajibare & Akinboro, 2019 ). Many studies also confirmed that there was variation in heavy metal levels among fish tissues and species ( Samuel et al, 2020 ; Gure, Kedir & Abduro, 2019 ), which was also observed in the current finding.…”