Accumulation of Heavy Metals in Water and Some Fish Samples from Onuimo River, Imo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Accumulation of some heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Cd and Cr) was determined in selected fish; Moon fish (Citharinus citharus), Tilapia fish (Oreochronus niloticus), Mud fish (Clarias anguillaris), Cat fish (Clarias gariepinus) and Carp fish (Labeo coulbie) and water samples from Onuimo River in Imo State in Nigeria. Accumulation order of heavy metals in fish samples comprised of Moon fish > Cling fish > Mud fish > Tilapia fish > Cat fish. Bioconcentration factor model used in the present study showed the following order; Moon fish = Carp fish > Cat fish > Mud fish > Tilapia fish and Moon fish = Carp fish > Tilapia >Mud fish > Cat fish for copper and zinc metals respectively. The concentration of cadmium and chromium in water samples were below detection limits of the Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) Machine. Concentrations of Cu, Cd, Zn and Cr were also below permissible limits of some international regulatory bodies.