Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Levels of heavy metals in tissues of shingi fish (Heteropneustes fossilis) from Buriganga River, Bangladesh

  • Published:
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Heavy metal pollution was reported in commercially valuable freshwater edible fish in the Buriganga River, Bangladesh. The concentrations of As, Pb, Cd, Cr, Zn, and Cu were investigated in the muscle, gill, stomach, intestine, and liver of Heteropneustes fossilis caught at three stations to assess the degree of fish pollution by heavy metals. Significant differences in concentrations of analyzed elements were observed among different tissues, but not among the stations. The ranges of the measured concentrations (μg/g dry weight) in the tissues of H. fossilis were as follows: arsenic concentration was (0.2–0.4), (0.82–0.90), (3.29–3.99), (2.20–2.80), and (2.41–2.90), that of lead was (1.79–2.20), (4.95–6.55), (10.36–13.38), (5.74–9.70), and (18.20–18.79), that of cadmium was (0.3–0.4), (2.87–4.27), (1.03–1.63), (1.55–4.59), and (2.25–5.50), that of chromium was (1.40–1.70), (3.52–3.72), (2.28–5.29), (2.77–3.79), and (4.25–8.65), that of zinc was (24.47–28.82), (16.82–18.80), (20.22–22.20), (22.86–26.68), and (60.82–67.80), and that of copper was (7.80–8.50), (6.22–6.81), (38.21–44.25), (17.07–21.03), and (43.24–47.30) in the muscle, gill, stomach, intestine, and liver, respectively. This research showed that the liver appeared to be the main heavy metal storage tissue, while the muscle had the lowest levels of analyzed metals. The concentrations of metal in the muscles not exceeded the acceptable levels for a food source for human consumption.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Agah, H., Leermakers, M., Elskens, M., Fatemi, S. M. R., & Baeyens, W. (2009). Accumulation of trace metals in the muscle and liver tissues of five fish species from the Persian Gulf. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 157, 499–514.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ahmad, M. K., Islam, S., Rahman, S., Haque, M. R., & Islam, M. M. (2010). Heavy metals in water, sediment and some fishes of Buriganga River, Bangladesh. International Journal of Environmental Research, 4, 321–332.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ahmed, K., Das, M., Islam, M. M., Akter, M. S., Islam, S., & Al-Mansur, M. A. (2011). Physico-chemical properties of tannery and textile effluents and surface water of River Buriganga and Karnatoli, Bangladesh. World Applied Sciences Journal, 12, 152–159.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Alibabić, V., Vahčić, N., & Bajramović, M. (2007). Bioaccumulation of metals in fish of Salmonidae family and the impact on fish meat quality. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 131, 349–364.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Amin, M. N., Begum, A., & Mondal, M. G. K. (2011). Trace element concentrations present in five species of freshwater fish of Bangladesh. Bangladesh Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research, 46, 27–32.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Begum, A., Amin, M. N., Kaneco, S., & Ohta, K. (2005). Selected elemental consumption of the muscle tissue of three species of fish, Tilapia nilotica, Cirrhina mrigala and Clarius batrachus, from the fresh water Dhanmondi Lake in Bangladesh. Food Chemistry, 93, 439–443.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bervoets, L., & Blust, B. (2003). Metal concentrations in water, sediment and gudgeon (Gobio gobio) from a pollution gradient: relationship with fish condition factor. Environmental Pollution, 126, 9–19.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, T., Hee, S., & Ambrose, R. (2001). Trace metals in fish and invertebrates of three California coastal wetlands. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 42, 224–232.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dural, M., Göksu, M. Z. L., Özak, A. A., & Derici, B. (2006). Bioaccumulation of some heavy metals in different tissues of Dicentrarchus labrax L, 1758, Sparus aurata L, 1758, and Mugil cephalus L, 1758 from the Camlik Lagoon of the eastern coast of Mediterranean (Turkey). Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 118, 65–74.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Erdoğrul, Ö., & Erbilir, F. (2007). Heavy metal and trace elements in various fish samples from Sir Dam Lake, Kahramanmaraş, Turkey. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 130, 373–379.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • EU Commission (2001) EU Commission Regulation as regards heavy metals. Directive 2001/22/EC, No. 466/2001/EEC as amended by regulation 221/2002/EC. Brussels: EU Commission

  • Fallah, A. A., Saei-Dehkordi, S. S., Nematollahi, A., & Jafari, T. (2011). Comparative study of heavy metal and trace element accumulation in edible tissues of farmed and wild rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) using ICP-OES technique. Microchemical Journal, 98, 275–279.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • FAO. (2000). State of world fisheries and aquaculture. Rome: FAO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Farag, A. M., Nimick, D. A., Kimball, B. A., Church, S. E., Harper, D. D., & Brumbaugh, W. G. (2007). Concentrations of metals in water, sediment, biofilm, benthic macroinvertebrates, and fish in the boulder river watershed, montana, and the role of colloids in metal uptake. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 52, 397–409.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Islam, M.M., Akhtar, M.K., Masud, M.S. (2006). Prediction of environmental flow to improve the water quality in the river Buriganga (Proceedings of the 17th IASTED International conference on modelling and simulation, Montreal, QC, Canada).

  • Jarić, I., Višnjić-Jeftić, Ž., Cvijanović, G., Gačić, Z., Jovanović, L., Skorić, S., & Lenhardt, M. (2011). Determination of differential heavy metal and trace element accumulation in liver, gills, intestine and muscle of sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus) from the Danube River in Serbia by ICP-OES. Microchemical Journal, 98, 77–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • JECFA (1982). Evaluation of certain food additives and contaminants. Twenty-sixth report of the joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (WHO technical report series, no. 683), World Health Organization, Geneva.

  • JECFA (1989). Evaluation of certain food additives and contaminants. Thirty-third report of the joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (WHO technical report series, no. 776), World Health Organization, Geneva.

  • JECFA (2000). Evaluation of certain food additives and contaminants. Fifty-third report of the joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (WHO technical report series, no. 896), World Health Organization, Geneva.

  • Jent, S., Heing, J.S., Tate, C.M. (1998). Concentration distribution and composition of selected trace elements in bed sediment and fish tissue in the South Platte River basin, USA, 1992–1993. National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program report.

  • Karadede-Akin, H., & Ünlü, E. (2007). Heavy metal concentrations in water, sediment, fish and some benthic organisms from Tigris River, Turkey. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 131, 323–337.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Keskin, Y., Baskaya, R., Özyaral, O., Yurdun, T., Lüleci, N. E., & Hayran, O. (2007). Cadmium, lead, mercury and copper in fish from the Marmara Sea, Turkey. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 78, 258–261.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kuddus, R., Quddus, M. M. A., & Shafi, M. (1995). Feeding and breeding habits of shing fish, Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch). Dhaka University Journal of Biological Sciences, 5, 35–43.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mohanta, M. K., Salam, M. A., Saha, A. K., Hasan, A., & Roy, A. K. (2010). Effects of tannery effluents on survival and histopathological changes in different organs of Channa punctatus. Asian Journal of Experimental Biological Sciences, 1, 294–302.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mormede, S., & Davies, I. M. (2001). Heavy metal concentrations in commercial deep-sea fish from the Rockall Trough. Continental Shelf Research, 21, 899–916.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • NRC. (1989). National research council recommended dietary allowances (10th ed., pp. 241–243). Washington, DC: National Academy of Sciences.

    Google Scholar 

  • Olojo, E. A. A., Olurin, K. B., Mbaka, G., & Oluwemimo, A. D. (2005). Histopathology of the gill and liver tissues of the African catfish Clarias gariepinus exposed to lead. African Journal of Biotechnology, 4, 117–122.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Onsanit, S., Ke, C., Wang, X., Wang, K. J., & Wang, W. X. (2010). Trace elements in two marine fish cultured in fish cages in Fujian province, China. Environmental Pollution, 158, 1334–1342.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ploetz, D. M., Fitts, B. E., & Rice, T. M. (2007). Differential accumulation of heavy metals in muscle and liver of a marine fish, (King Mackerel, Scomberomorus cavalla Cuvier) from the Northern Gulf of Mexico, USA. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 78, 124–127.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pyle, G. G., Rajotte, J. W., & Couture, P. (2005). Effects of industrial metals on wild fish populations along a metal contamination gradient. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 61, 287–312.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rashed, M. N. (2001). Monitoring of environmental heavy metals in fish from Nasser Lake. Environment International, 27, 27–33.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shah, A. Q., Kazi, T. G., Arain, M. B., Jamali, M. K., Afridi, H. I., Jalbani, N., Baig, J. A., & Kandhro, G. A. (2009). Accumulation of arsenic in different fresh water fish species-potential contribution to high arsenic intakes. Food Chemistry, 112, 520–524.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sharif, A. K. M., Alamgir, M., Mustafa, A. I., Hossain, M. A., & Amin, M. N. (1993a). Trace element concentrations in ten species of freshwater fish of Bangladesh. Science of the Total Environment, 138, 117–126.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sharif, A. K. M., Alamgir, M., Mustafa, A. I., Hossain, M. A., & Amin, M. N. (1993b). Lead and cadmium contents in 10 species of tropical marine fish from the Bay of Bengal. Science of the Total Environment, 138, 193–199.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sharif, A. K. M., Alamgir, M., Mustafa, A. I., Amin, M. N., & Safiullah, S. (1993c). Trace element concentrations in tropical marine fish from the Bay of Bengal. Science of the Total Environment, 138, 223–234.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Singh, R. K., Chavan, S. L., & Sapkale, P. H. (2007). Heavy metal concentrations in water, sediments and body tissues of red worm (Tubifex spp.) collected from natural habitats in Mumbai, India. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 129, 471–481.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stoica, A., Pentecost, E., & Martin, M. B. (2000). Effects of arsenite on estrogen receptor-alpha expression and activity in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Endocrinology, 141, 3595–3602.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Storelli, M. M., Barone, G., Storelli, A., & Marcotrigiano, G. O. (2006). Trace metals in tissues of mugilids (Mugil auratus, Mugil capito, and Mugil labrosus) from the Mediterranean Sea. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 77, 43–50.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Uysal, K., Köse, E., Bülbül, M., Dönmez, M., Erdoğan, Y., Koyun, M., Ömeroğlu, Ç., & Özmal, F. (2009). The comparison of heavy metal accumulation ratios of some fish species in Enne Dame Lake (Kütahya/Turkey). Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 157, 355–362.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Walsh, D. F., Berger, B. L., & Bean, J. R. (1977). Mercury, arsenic, lead, cadmium, and selenium residues in fish, 1971–1973—National Pesticide Monitoring Program. Pesticides Monitoring Journal, 11, 5–134.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wu, S. M., Jong, K. J., & Lee, Y. J. (2006). Relationships among metallothionein, cadmium accumulation, and cadmium tolerance in three species of fish. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 76, 595–600.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yamazaki, M., Tanizaki, Y., & Shimokawa, T. (1996). Silver and other trace elements in a freshwater fish, Carasius auratus langsdorfii, from the Asakawa River in Tokyo, Japan. Environmental Pollution, 94, 83–90.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yilmaz, F., Özdemir, N., Demirak, A., & Tuna, A. L. (2007). Heavy metal levels in two fish species Leuscius cephalus and Lepomis gibbosus. Food Chemistry, 100, 830–835.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yılmaz, A. B., Sangün, M. K., Yaglıoglu, D., & Turan, C. (2010). Metals (major, essential to non-essential) composition of the different tissues of three demersal fish species from Iskenderun Bay, Turkey. Food Chemistry, 123, 410–415.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the chairman of the Department of Zoology and Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh for providing the laboratory facilities during the progress of this work. The authors are also delighted to express their gratefulness and sincerest thanks to the authority of Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, Dhaka, Bangladesh for providing laboratory facilities to analyze fish samples using conventional technique.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh

    Aleya Begum & Nasrin Banu

  2. Department of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh

    Ahmed Ismail Mustafa & Md. Nurul Amin

  3. Chemistry Division, Atomic Energy Centre, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, 4 Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue, Ramna, Dhaka, Bangladesh

    Tasrina Rabia Chowdhury & Shamshad Begum Quraishi

Authors
  1. Aleya Begum
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ahmed Ismail Mustafa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Md. Nurul Amin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Tasrina Rabia Chowdhury
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Shamshad Begum Quraishi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Nasrin Banu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Aleya Begum.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Begum, A., Mustafa, A.I., Amin, M.N. et al. Levels of heavy metals in tissues of shingi fish (Heteropneustes fossilis) from Buriganga River, Bangladesh. Environ Monit Assess 185, 5461–5469 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-012-2959-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-012-2959-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation