Assessment of the levels of some heavy metals in mudfish (Clarias anguillaris) from River Okpokwu, Apa, Benue State, Nigeria
Paper Details
Assessment of the levels of some heavy metals in mudfish (Clarias anguillaris) from River Okpokwu, Apa, Benue State, Nigeria
Abstract
This study employed recommended analytical procedures to determine the levels of As, Mn, Cu, Pb and Fe in whole Clarias anguillaris (mudfish) obtained from river Okpokwu, Apa Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria. Samples of the fish, water and sediment were collected weekly at three commercial fishing locations: Auke, Odejo and Ocholonya in October, 2010 and February, 2011 and analysed for levels of the heavy metals using Unicam Solar (32) Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The results obtained across the sampling points showed that the heavy metals concentrations in Clarias anguillaris varied between 0.05±0.01µg/g As to 0.44±0.03µg/g Fe in October, 2010 and 0.08±0.03µg/g Pb to 0.34±0.05µg/g Fe in February, 2011. In the river water and sediment, the results ranged from 0.06±0.02µg/L As to 1.24±0.05µg/L Fe and 0.36±0.04µg/g As to 3.79±0.20µg/g Fe in October, 2010 but varied between 0.04±0.01µg/L As to 0.59±0.10µg/L Fe and 0.41±0.06µg/g As to 0.97±0.03µg/g Fe in February, 2011 respectively. There were positive correlations between the metal contents of the samples. T-test analyses of the mean concentrations of the heavy metals between the sampling periods were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The concentrations of the heavy metals recorded in this study were below the WHO’s permissible limits. Therefore, water and Clarias anguillaris from the study area have not become contaminated by the heavy metals studied. However, periodic review should be sustained to monitor possible accumulations of the heavy metals in future due to the proliferation of anthropogenic activities around river Okpokwu.
Agah H, Leermakers M, Elskens M, Fatemi SMR, Baeyens W. 2009. Accumulation of trace metals in the muscles and liver tissues of five fish species from the Persian Gulf. Environ. Monit. Assess 157, 499-514. http:/dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10661-008-0551-8
Ahmed A, Dodo A, Bouba AM, Clement S, Dzudie T. 2010. Determination of minerals and heavy metals in water, sediments and three fish species (Tilapia nilotica, Silurus glanis and Arius parkii) from Lagdo Lake, Cameroun. Journal of fisheries international 5(3), 54-57. http:/dx.doi.org/10.3923/jfish.2010.54.57
Asaolu SS, Olaofe O. 2005. Biomagnifications of some heavy and essential metals in sediment, fishes and crayfish from Ondo State coastal region, Nigeria. Pakistan Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research 48, 96-102.
Aston SR, Thornton I. 1977. Regional geochemical data in relation to seasonal variations in water quality. Science of the Total Environment 7, 247-260.
Benson NU, Etesin MU, Essien JP, Umoren IU, Umoh MA. 2006. Tissue Elemental Levels in Fin-Fishes from Imo River System, Nigeria: Assessment of Liver/Muscle Concentrations Ratio. Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Science 1(3), 277-283. http:/dx.doi.org/10.3923/jfas.2006.277.283
Butu AW, Iguisi EO. 2013. Concentration of heavy metals in sediment of river Kubanni, Zaria, Nigeria, Compr . J. Earth Env. Sci 1(2), 10 – 17 p.
Centeno JA, Gray MA, Mulick JG, Tchounwou PB, Tseng C. 2005. Arsenic in drinking water and health issues in: Moore TA, Black A, Centeno JA, Harding JS Trumm DA (eds). Metal contamination in New Zealand, source, treatment and effects on ecology and human health. Resolutionz press, Christchurch. 415-436 p.
EC. 2000. Working document on sludge. 3rd draft. ENV.E.3/LM. European Commission, Brussels.
FAO. 1992. Committee for inland fisheries of Africa. Report of the third session of the working party on pollution and fisheries. Accra, Ghana, 25-29 November 1991. FAO fisheries report, 471, Rome.
Farkas A, Salanki J, Varanka I. 2000. Heavy metal concentrations in fish of lake Balaton. Lakes & Reservoirs: Research and Management 5(4),271-279.http:/dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.14401770.2000.00127.x
Giguere A, Campbell PGC, Hare L, McDonald DG, Rasmussen JB, 2004. Influence of lake chemistry and fish age on cadmium, copper and zinc concentrations in various organs of indigenous yellow perch (Perca flavescens). Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci 61(9), 1702-1716. http:/dx.doi.org/10.1139/f04-100
Gilmour GG, Tuttle TH, Means JC. 1985. Tin methylation in sulphide bearing sediment in marine and estuarine geochemisty; Siglo AC, Hatton A. (eds) Chelsea, Michigan: Lewis publishers, 239-258 p.
Gupta A, Rai DK, Pandey RS, Sharma B. 2009. Analysis of some heavy metals in the riverine water, sediments and fish from river Ganges at Allahabad. Environ. monit. assess 157, 449-458. http:/dx.doi.org/10.1007/s/10661-008-0547-4
Harikumar PS, Jisha TS. 2010. Distribution pattern of trace metal pollutants in the sediments of an urban wetland in the Southwest coast of India. International Journal of Engineering Science and Technology 2(5), 840-850.
Kar D, Sur P, Mandal SK, Saha T. Kole RK. 2007. Assessment of heavy metal pollution in surface water. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technolgy 5(1), 119-124.
Karanja N, Njenga M,; Prain G, Kang’ethe E, Kironchi G, Githuku C, Kinyari P, Mutua GK. 2010. Assessment of environmental and public health hazards in wastewater used for urban agriculture in Nairobi, Kenya. Tropical and Subtropical Agroecosystems 12(1), 85-97.
Lawani SA, Alawode JA. 1996. Concentrations of lead and mercury in river Niger and its fish at Jebba, Nigeria. Bioscience research communication, 8, 47-49.
Linnik PM, Zubenko IB. 2000. Role of bottom sediments in the secondary pollution of aquatic environments by heavy metal compounds. Lakes and Reservoirs Res. Manage 5(1), 11-21, http:/dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1440-1770.2000.00094.x
Maitera ON, Ogugbuaja VO, Barminas JT. 2011. Determination of trace metal levels in water and sediments of river Benue in Adamawa State, Nigeria. Journal of Ecology and the Natural Environment 3(4), 149-156.
Martin JM, Meybeck M. 1979. Elemental mass balance of materials carried by major world rivers. Mar Chem 7, 173-206. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0304-4203(79)90039-2
Officer CB, Lynch DR. 1989. Bioturbation, sedimentation and sediment water exchange in estuarine Coastal Shelf, Sci 28,1-12. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0272-7714(89)90037-1
Omorogie E, Okoronkwo MO, Eziashi AC, Zoakah AI. 2002. Metal concentrations in water column, benthic macro invertebrates and tilapia from Delimi River, Nigeria. Journal of aquatic sciences 17(1), 55-59.
Romeo M, Siav Y, Sidoumou Z, Gnassia-Barelli M. 1999. Heavy Metal Distribution in Different Fish Species from the Mauritania Coast, Science and Total Environmet 232, 169-175. http:/dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0048-9697(99)00099-6
Skjelkvale BL, Adersen T, Fjeld E, Mannio J, Wilander A, Johansson K, Jensen JP, Moiseenko T. 2001. Heavy metal surveys in Nordic Lakes: concentrations, geographic patterns and relation to critical Limits. Ambio 30(1), 2-10, http://dx.doi.org/10.1579/0044-7447-30.1.2
Tessier A, Campbell PGC. 1987. Partitioning of trace metals in sediments: relationships with bioavailability. Hydrobiologia 149, 43-52. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00048645
Uzairu A, Harrison GFS, Balarabe ML, Nnaji JC. 2009. Concentration levels of trace metals in fish and sediment from Kubanni river, Northern Nigeria. Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop 23(1), 9-17.
WHO. 2006. Guidelines for drinking water quality; first addendum to the third edition, volume 1 recommendations. 491-493 p.
WHO. 2011. Guidelines for drinking water quality, 4th (ed), WHO, Geneva, 451 p.
Wufem BM, Ibrahim AQ, Gin NS, Shibdawa M A, Adamu HM, Agya PJ. 2009. Levels of heavy metals in Gubi Dam water, Bauchi Nigeria. Global Journal of Environmental Sciences 8(2), 29-37.
J. Abah, S.T. Ubwa, D.I. Onyejefu, S.A. Nomor, 2013. Assessment of the levels of some heavy metals in mudfish (Clarias anguillaris) from River Okpokwu, Apa, Benue State, Nigeria. Int. J. Biosci., 3(4), 142-150.
Copyright © 2013 by the Authors. This article is an open access article and distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) license.