Assessment of Heavy Metals Concentration in Water and its Bioaccumulation in Fish Species from River Niger, Kogi State, Nigeria

• Authors: Lyambee B. Gav , Julius Shagaba , Lami A. Nnamonu , Ishaq S. Eneji
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Pollution of the aquatic environment with toxic heavy metals has become a worldwide problem in recent years, because of their negative effects on human health. Three toxic heavy metals (Cd, Cr and Pb) were investigated in the river and organs (intestine, gills and flesh) of ten (10) different fish species (Heterotis niloticus, Heterobranchus longifilis, Protopterus annectens, Clarias lazera, Tilapia zilli, Clarias anguillaris, Clarias gariepinus, Mormyrus rume, Synodontis clarias and Auchenoglanis biscutatus) harvested from River Niger in Idah Metropolis were analyzed using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) techniques. The mean obtained showed the following concentration of heavy metals (mg/L) in the river: Cr = 0.3727, Cd = 0.1092, Pb = 2.0928. Cadmium was detected in four (4) out of the ten (10) fishes sampled with mean concentration values being H. longifilis = 2.3 ± 1.63 mg/kg, T. zilli= 10.7 ± 8.11 mg/kg, C. gariepinus = 3.4 ± 4.19 and A. biscutatus = 1.6 ± 1.19 mg/kg with T. zilli having the highest concentration value of Cd. Chromium was detected in all the fish species sampled with mean concentration values all higher than the WHO permissible limit of 0.15mg/kg. Lead was detected in five (5) out of the ten (10) fishes sampled, in the following concentration level; C. lazera > P. annectens > C. gariepinus > A. biscutatus > H. niloticus. The levels were all higher than the WHO recommended limit for fish and fish products of 2.0mg/kg. The result shows that the bioaccumulation factor of heavy metals in both the water and fishes was in the order Cr > Pb > Cd. Results revealed that, the bioaccumulation factor of the heavy metals in the fishes are beyond the tolerable levels, which indicated that the fishes are unfit for human consumption. Consequently, close monitoring and urgent mitigation strategies of these metals’ pollution of river Niger in Idah Metropolis, Kogi State is recommended with a view to minimizing the risk of health of the population that depend on the river for their water and fish supply.

Keywords

EN

Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy; Digestion; Fish Organs; Toxic Heavy Metals; bioaccumulation factor

Discipline

• FISHERIES: FISHERIES

• Publisher: Scientific Publishing House „DARWIN”
• Journal: World News of Natural Sciences
• Year: 2025
• Volume: 58
• Pages: 240-258

Contributors

author

Lyambee B. Gav

• Department of Chemistry, College of Physical Sciences, Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria

author

Julius Shagaba

• Department of Chemistry, College of Physical Sciences, Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria

author

Lami A. Nnamonu

• Department of Chemistry, College of Physical Sciences, Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria

author

Ishaq S. Eneji

• Department of Chemistry, College of Physical Sciences, Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria

References

• [1] Ademoroti, C. M. A, Standard Methods for water and Effluent analysis. Foludex Press. (1996) 114-118
• [2] Agah, H., Leermakers, M., Elskens, M., Fatemi, S. M. R. and Baeyens, W, Accumulation of trace metals in the muscles and liver tissues of five fish Species from the Persian Gulf. Environmental Monitor Assessment, 157 (2009) 499-514
• [3] Agatha, A.N. Levels of Some Heavy Metals in Tissues of Bonga Fish, Ethmallosafimbriata from Forcados River. Journal of Applied Environmental and Biological Sciences 1 (2010) 44-47
• [4] Alrumman, S., Keshk, S., and El Kott, A. Water pollution: source and treatment. American Journal of Environmental Engineering, 6(3) (2016) 88-98. doi: 10.5923/j.ajee.20160603.02
• [5] Bibi, S., Khan, R. L., Nazir, R., Khan, P., Rehman, H. U., Shakir, S. K. and Jan, R, Heavy Metals Analysis in Drinking Water of Lakki Marwat District, KPK, Pakistan. World Applied Sciences Journal, 34(1), (2016) 15-19
• [6] Biney C, Amuzu AT, Calamari D, Kaba N, Mbome IL, Naeve H, Ochumba PB, Osibanjo O, Radegonde V, Saad MA. Review of heavy metals in the African aquatic environment. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 1994 Jul; 28(2): 134-59. doi: 10.1006/eesa.1994.1041
• [7] Edward, J. B., Idowu E. O., Oso, J. A., Ibidapo, O. R, Determination of Heavy Metal Concentration in Fish Samples, Sediment and Water from Odo-Ayo River in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti-State, Nigeria, International Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Analysis. Vol. 1, No. 1 ( 2013) 27-33
• [8] Eneji, I. S., Sha’Ato, R. and Annune, P.A,Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals in Fish (Tilapia zilli and Clarias gariepinus) organs from River Benue, North Central Nigeria. Pakistan Journal of Analogy Environmental Chemistry, 12(1-2) (2011) 25-31
• [9] Gupta, A., Rai, D. K., Pandy, R. S., Sharma, B., Analysis of some heavy metals in the riverine water, sediments and fish from river Ganges at Allahabad. Environ. Monit. Assess. 157 (2009) 449-458
• [10] Kar, D., Sur, P., Mandal, S.K., Saha, T. and Kole, R.K. Assessment of heavy metal pollution in surface water. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology 5 (2008) 119-124
• [11] Khan, M. A., and Ghouri, A. M,Environmental pollution: its effects on life and its remedies. Researcher World: Journal of Arts, Science and Commerce, 2(2) (2011) 276-285
• [12] Khan, N., Hussain, S. T., Saboor, A., Jamila, N., Khan, S. N., and Kim, K. S., Chemical investigation of the drinking water Sources from Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. World Applied Sciences Journal, 27(1) (2013) 112-122
• [13] Kumar, B., Mukherjee, D. P., Kumar, S., Mishra, M., Prakash, D., Singh, S. K. and Sharma, C. S. (2011). Bioaccumulation of heavy metals in muscle tissue of fishes from selected aquaculture ponds in East Kolkata Wetlands. Annals of Biological Research, 2(5) 125-134
• [14] La Vecchia, C., Chatenoud, L., Altieri, A. and Tavani, A.,Nutrition and health: epidemiology of diet cancer and cardiovascular disease in Italy. Nutrient Metabolic Cardiovascular Disease 11 (2001) 10-15
• [15] Mwegoha W. J. S.and Kihampa, C. Heavy metal contamination in agricultural soils and water in Dar es Salaam city, Tanzania. African Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 4 (2010) 763-769
• [16] Obasohan, E.E. Heavy metals concentrations in the offal, gill, muscleand liver of a freshwater mudfish (Parachanna obscura) from Ogba River, Benin city, Nigeria. African Journal of Biotechnology 6 (2008) 2620-2627
• [17] Oguzie, F.A. Heavy metals in Fish, Water and Effluents of lower Ikpoba River in Benin City, Nigeria. Pakistan Journal of Science and Industrial Research, 46 (2003) 156-160
• [18] Oguzie, F.A. and Izevbigie, E.E. Heavy metals concentration in the organs of the silver Catfish, Chrysichthysnigrodigitatus (Lacèpéde) caught upstream of the Ikpoba river and the reservoir in Benin City. Bioscience Research Communications 21 (2009) 189-197
• [19] Olaifa, F. E., Olaifa, A. K. and Onwude, T. E. Lethal and sub-lethal effects of copper to the African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) juveniles. African Journal of Biomedical Research 7 (2) (2004) 65-70
• [20] Opaluwa, O. D., Aremu, M. O., Ogbo, L. O., Magaji, J. I., Odiba, I. E. and Ekpo, E. R. Assessment of heavy metals in water, fish and sediments from UKE stream, Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Current world Environment 7(2) (2012) 213-220
• [21] Oronsaye, J.A.O., Wangboje, O.M. and Oguzie, F.A, Trace metals in some benthic fishes of the Ikpoba river dam, Benin City, Nigeria. African Journal of Biotechnology 9 (2010) 8860-8864
• [22] Pawari, M. J., and Gawande, S. Ground water pollution and its consequence. International Journal of Engineering Research and General Science, 3(4) (2015) 773-776
• [23] Tukura, B. W., Kagbu, J. and Gimba, C. E., Bioaccumulation of trace metals in fish from Ahmadu Bello University Dam. Nigeria Journal of Science Research, 5(1) (2005) 91-95

• Document Type: article