Heavy Metal Analysis of Selected Estuarine Fish Species from Oron River, Oron Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Ayotunde Ezekiel Olatunji; Udeh Grace Njoku; Ada Fidelis Bekeh

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ajz.20210404.11

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Heavy Metal Analysis of Selected Estuarine Fish Species from Oron River, Oron Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Ayotunde Ezekiel Olatunji, Udeh Grace Njoku, Ada Fidelis Bekeh

Published in American Journal of Zoology (Volume 4, Issue 4)

Received: 3 July 2021 Accepted: 28 July 2021 Published: 30 October 2021

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Abstract

Environmental pollution is a worldwide problem, heavy metals belonging to the most important pollutants. The progress of industries has led to increased emission of pollutants into ecosystems. Oron River is one of the most important aquatic environment, which receives effluents discharges from heavily industrialized and highly populated settlements. Metals tend to accumulate in water and move up through the food chain. So, studies to ascertain the level of heavy metals in environment and determine potentially hazardous levels for human are necessary. In this study heavy the heavy metals profile [Lead (Pd), Zinc (Zn), Chromium (Cr), Cadmium (Cd), Iron (Fe)], in sea food with special reference to selected fishes Hydrocynus lineatus (African tiger fish), Chrysichthys aluuensis (Catfish), Distichodus rostratus (Grass eater), Tilapia guieensis (Tilapia), Arius gigas (Giant sea catfish) using Atomic Absorption spectrophotometer. The heavy metal profile was observed in the order of intestine, gills, skin and Lead, Cadmium, Chromium, Iron and Zinc respectively. Most of the metals were below the maximum allowable levels set by WHO, FEPA and USEPA except Chromium with 1.02 on the gills. This indicates that an urban and industrial waste discharged into Oron River has a significant effect on the ecological balance of the river, which shows that the fish species and seafood from the river are safe for consumption. In conclusion, the levels of heavy metals observed in the fish and water samples can be considered as a serious matter. More safe and economic methods for the elimination of heavy metals from contaminated waters are needed and continuous assessment of the level of pollution of the lake waters and fish with heavy metals is also necessary. Safe disposals of domestic sewage and industrial effluents as well as enforcement of laws enacted to protect our environment are therefore advocated.

Published in	American Journal of Zoology (Volume 4, Issue 4)
DOI	10.11648/j.ajz.20210404.11
Page(s)	50-56
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Environmental Pollution, Heavy Metal, Estuarine Fish Species, Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer, Oron River, Nigeria

References

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Ayotunde Ezekiel Olatunji, Udeh Grace Njoku, Ada Fidelis Bekeh. (2021). Heavy Metal Analysis of Selected Estuarine Fish Species from Oron River, Oron Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. American Journal of Zoology, 4(4), 50-56. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajz.20210404.11

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ACS Style

Ayotunde Ezekiel Olatunji; Udeh Grace Njoku; Ada Fidelis Bekeh. Heavy Metal Analysis of Selected Estuarine Fish Species from Oron River, Oron Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Am. J. Zool. 2021, 4(4), 50-56. doi: 10.11648/j.ajz.20210404.11

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AMA Style

Ayotunde Ezekiel Olatunji, Udeh Grace Njoku, Ada Fidelis Bekeh. Heavy Metal Analysis of Selected Estuarine Fish Species from Oron River, Oron Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Am J Zool. 2021;4(4):50-56. doi: 10.11648/j.ajz.20210404.11

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@article{10.11648/j.ajz.20210404.11,
  author = {Ayotunde Ezekiel Olatunji and Udeh Grace Njoku and Ada Fidelis Bekeh},
  title = {Heavy Metal Analysis of Selected Estuarine Fish Species from Oron River, Oron Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria},
  journal = {American Journal of Zoology},
  volume = {4},
  number = {4},
  pages = {50-56},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajz.20210404.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajz.20210404.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajz.20210404.11},
  abstract = {Environmental pollution is a worldwide problem, heavy metals belonging to the most important pollutants. The progress of industries has led to increased emission of pollutants into ecosystems. Oron River is one of the most important aquatic environment, which receives effluents discharges from heavily industrialized and highly populated settlements. Metals tend to accumulate in water and move up through the food chain. So, studies to ascertain the level of heavy metals in environment and determine potentially hazardous levels for human are necessary. In this study heavy the heavy metals profile [Lead (Pd), Zinc (Zn), Chromium (Cr), Cadmium (Cd), Iron (Fe)], in sea food with special reference to selected fishes Hydrocynus lineatus (African tiger fish), Chrysichthys aluuensis (Catfish), Distichodus rostratus (Grass eater), Tilapia guieensis (Tilapia), Arius gigas (Giant sea catfish) using Atomic Absorption spectrophotometer. The heavy metal profile was observed in the order of intestine, gills, skin and Lead, Cadmium, Chromium, Iron and Zinc respectively. Most of the metals were below the maximum allowable levels set by WHO, FEPA and USEPA except Chromium with 1.02 on the gills. This indicates that an urban and industrial waste discharged into Oron River has a significant effect on the ecological balance of the river, which shows that the fish species and seafood from the river are safe for consumption. In conclusion, the levels of heavy metals observed in the fish and water samples can be considered as a serious matter. More safe and economic methods for the elimination of heavy metals from contaminated waters are needed and continuous assessment of the level of pollution of the lake waters and fish with heavy metals is also necessary. Safe disposals of domestic sewage and industrial effluents as well as enforcement of laws enacted to protect our environment are therefore advocated.},
 year = {2021}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Heavy Metal Analysis of Selected Estuarine Fish Species from Oron River, Oron Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria
AU  - Ayotunde Ezekiel Olatunji
AU  - Udeh Grace Njoku
AU  - Ada Fidelis Bekeh
Y1  - 2021/10/30
PY  - 2021
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajz.20210404.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.ajz.20210404.11
T2  - American Journal of Zoology
JF  - American Journal of Zoology
JO  - American Journal of Zoology
SP  - 50
EP  - 56
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2994-7413
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajz.20210404.11
AB  - Environmental pollution is a worldwide problem, heavy metals belonging to the most important pollutants. The progress of industries has led to increased emission of pollutants into ecosystems. Oron River is one of the most important aquatic environment, which receives effluents discharges from heavily industrialized and highly populated settlements. Metals tend to accumulate in water and move up through the food chain. So, studies to ascertain the level of heavy metals in environment and determine potentially hazardous levels for human are necessary. In this study heavy the heavy metals profile [Lead (Pd), Zinc (Zn), Chromium (Cr), Cadmium (Cd), Iron (Fe)], in sea food with special reference to selected fishes Hydrocynus lineatus (African tiger fish), Chrysichthys aluuensis (Catfish), Distichodus rostratus (Grass eater), Tilapia guieensis (Tilapia), Arius gigas (Giant sea catfish) using Atomic Absorption spectrophotometer. The heavy metal profile was observed in the order of intestine, gills, skin and Lead, Cadmium, Chromium, Iron and Zinc respectively. Most of the metals were below the maximum allowable levels set by WHO, FEPA and USEPA except Chromium with 1.02 on the gills. This indicates that an urban and industrial waste discharged into Oron River has a significant effect on the ecological balance of the river, which shows that the fish species and seafood from the river are safe for consumption. In conclusion, the levels of heavy metals observed in the fish and water samples can be considered as a serious matter. More safe and economic methods for the elimination of heavy metals from contaminated waters are needed and continuous assessment of the level of pollution of the lake waters and fish with heavy metals is also necessary. Safe disposals of domestic sewage and industrial effluents as well as enforcement of laws enacted to protect our environment are therefore advocated.
VL  - 4
IS  - 4
ER  -

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Author Information

Ayotunde Ezekiel Olatunji

Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, Cross River University of Technology, Calabar, Nigeria
Udeh Grace Njoku

Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources Management, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria
Ada Fidelis Bekeh

Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, Cross River University of Technology, Calabar, Nigeria

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Ayotunde Ezekiel Olatunji, Udeh Grace Njoku, Ada Fidelis Bekeh. (2021). Heavy Metal Analysis of Selected Estuarine Fish Species from Oron River, Oron Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. American Journal of Zoology, 4(4), 50-56. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajz.20210404.11

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ACS Style

Ayotunde Ezekiel Olatunji; Udeh Grace Njoku; Ada Fidelis Bekeh. Heavy Metal Analysis of Selected Estuarine Fish Species from Oron River, Oron Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Am. J. Zool. 2021, 4(4), 50-56. doi: 10.11648/j.ajz.20210404.11

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AMA Style

Ayotunde Ezekiel Olatunji, Udeh Grace Njoku, Ada Fidelis Bekeh. Heavy Metal Analysis of Selected Estuarine Fish Species from Oron River, Oron Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Am J Zool. 2021;4(4):50-56. doi: 10.11648/j.ajz.20210404.11

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ajz.20210404.11,
  author = {Ayotunde Ezekiel Olatunji and Udeh Grace Njoku and Ada Fidelis Bekeh},
  title = {Heavy Metal Analysis of Selected Estuarine Fish Species from Oron River, Oron Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria},
  journal = {American Journal of Zoology},
  volume = {4},
  number = {4},
  pages = {50-56},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajz.20210404.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajz.20210404.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajz.20210404.11},
  abstract = {Environmental pollution is a worldwide problem, heavy metals belonging to the most important pollutants. The progress of industries has led to increased emission of pollutants into ecosystems. Oron River is one of the most important aquatic environment, which receives effluents discharges from heavily industrialized and highly populated settlements. Metals tend to accumulate in water and move up through the food chain. So, studies to ascertain the level of heavy metals in environment and determine potentially hazardous levels for human are necessary. In this study heavy the heavy metals profile [Lead (Pd), Zinc (Zn), Chromium (Cr), Cadmium (Cd), Iron (Fe)], in sea food with special reference to selected fishes Hydrocynus lineatus (African tiger fish), Chrysichthys aluuensis (Catfish), Distichodus rostratus (Grass eater), Tilapia guieensis (Tilapia), Arius gigas (Giant sea catfish) using Atomic Absorption spectrophotometer. The heavy metal profile was observed in the order of intestine, gills, skin and Lead, Cadmium, Chromium, Iron and Zinc respectively. Most of the metals were below the maximum allowable levels set by WHO, FEPA and USEPA except Chromium with 1.02 on the gills. This indicates that an urban and industrial waste discharged into Oron River has a significant effect on the ecological balance of the river, which shows that the fish species and seafood from the river are safe for consumption. In conclusion, the levels of heavy metals observed in the fish and water samples can be considered as a serious matter. More safe and economic methods for the elimination of heavy metals from contaminated waters are needed and continuous assessment of the level of pollution of the lake waters and fish with heavy metals is also necessary. Safe disposals of domestic sewage and industrial effluents as well as enforcement of laws enacted to protect our environment are therefore advocated.},
 year = {2021}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Heavy Metal Analysis of Selected Estuarine Fish Species from Oron River, Oron Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria
AU  - Ayotunde Ezekiel Olatunji
AU  - Udeh Grace Njoku
AU  - Ada Fidelis Bekeh
Y1  - 2021/10/30
PY  - 2021
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajz.20210404.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.ajz.20210404.11
T2  - American Journal of Zoology
JF  - American Journal of Zoology
JO  - American Journal of Zoology
SP  - 50
EP  - 56
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2994-7413
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajz.20210404.11
AB  - Environmental pollution is a worldwide problem, heavy metals belonging to the most important pollutants. The progress of industries has led to increased emission of pollutants into ecosystems. Oron River is one of the most important aquatic environment, which receives effluents discharges from heavily industrialized and highly populated settlements. Metals tend to accumulate in water and move up through the food chain. So, studies to ascertain the level of heavy metals in environment and determine potentially hazardous levels for human are necessary. In this study heavy the heavy metals profile [Lead (Pd), Zinc (Zn), Chromium (Cr), Cadmium (Cd), Iron (Fe)], in sea food with special reference to selected fishes Hydrocynus lineatus (African tiger fish), Chrysichthys aluuensis (Catfish), Distichodus rostratus (Grass eater), Tilapia guieensis (Tilapia), Arius gigas (Giant sea catfish) using Atomic Absorption spectrophotometer. The heavy metal profile was observed in the order of intestine, gills, skin and Lead, Cadmium, Chromium, Iron and Zinc respectively. Most of the metals were below the maximum allowable levels set by WHO, FEPA and USEPA except Chromium with 1.02 on the gills. This indicates that an urban and industrial waste discharged into Oron River has a significant effect on the ecological balance of the river, which shows that the fish species and seafood from the river are safe for consumption. In conclusion, the levels of heavy metals observed in the fish and water samples can be considered as a serious matter. More safe and economic methods for the elimination of heavy metals from contaminated waters are needed and continuous assessment of the level of pollution of the lake waters and fish with heavy metals is also necessary. Safe disposals of domestic sewage and industrial effluents as well as enforcement of laws enacted to protect our environment are therefore advocated.
VL  - 4
IS  - 4
ER  -

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