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Environmental Contamination of Heavy Metals in Some Dried Fish of Coastal Regions of Bangladesh

Suny Akter
Department of Zoology, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka-1342, Bangladesh.

Zeenath Fardous
Institute of Food and Radiation Biology, AERE, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, Ganakbari, Savar, Dhaka-1349, Bangladesh.

Jesmin Aktar
Department of Biology, Savar Government College, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Md. Abdur Rahman
Institute of Food and Radiation Biology, AERE, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, Ganakbari, Savar, Dhaka-1349, Bangladesh.

Muhammed Alamgir Zaman Chowdhury
Institute of Food and Radiation Biology, AERE, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, Ganakbari, Savar, Dhaka-1349, Bangladesh.

Shilpi Sarkar
Department of Zoology, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka-1342, Bangladesh.

Md. Baki Billah
Department of Zoology, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka-1342, Bangladesh.

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Heavy metals are non-biodegradable substances which cause serious carcinogenic effects on animals and humans. As fish occupy top position of aquatic food chain, it is a major source of heavy metal contamination. The concentration of Cd, Cr, Pb, Mn, Fe, Cu, and Zn were 0.0156 - 0.1428, 0.163 - 8.53, 0.0924 - 0.4026, 9.38 - 65.9382, 0.0473 - 0.1981 and 0.1473 - 1.8148 ppm respectively for the fish samples of Cox’s Bazar region while 0.0191 - 0.1386, 0.8445 - 0.1743, 0.102 - 0.4625, 0.102 - 0.4675, 9.7269 - 60.5267, 0.3108 - 0.046 ppm for the fish samples of Saint Martin’s region. Comparatively high concentrations of heavy metals were found to be accumulated in Mola (Amblypharyngodon mola), Rupchanda (Stromateus chinensis) and Chhuri (Trichiurus lepturus). The order of heavy metal concentrations were Fe > Zn > Cr > Cu > Mn > Cd. The concentration of heavy metals varied from species to species and most of the metals were not significantly correlated, even some metals showed negative correlation among them. Concentration of Fe in some fishes (Mola, Rupchanda and Chhuri) was found higher than WHO guideline values, while other metals exhibited the value below the WHO standard. The results of this study will assist in acquiring information about the level of toxic metals in these regions and to improve the coastal management in these areas in future.

Keywords: Pollution, Heavy metals, Dried fish, Coastal regions, Chhuri, Mola, Rupchanda

Location: Local fish markets of Cox's Bazar and St. Martin's Regions.

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Risk Management in Agriculture

Commodity: Dried fish

Objectives:

The present study investigates the state of heavy metal pollution in dried fish species in coastal regions and provides necessary information regarding the safety of dried fish to achieve food security.

Methodology:

Dried fish samples were collected from the local fish markets of Cox's Bazar and St. Martin's Regions. It is located 150 km south of the industrial port Chittagong. St. Martin's regions are a small region in the north eastern part of the Bay of Bengal, about 9 km south of the tip of the Cox's Bazar-Teknaf peninsula, and forming the southern-most part of Bangladesh. Traditionally dried marine fishes such as Chhuri (Trichiurus lepturus), Lauita (Harpodon nehereus) and Mola (Amblypharyngodon mola), Gonia (Chandramara chandramara), Sundori (Nemipterus vigatus), Bashpati (Devario devario), Rupchanda (Stromateus chinensis) were collected from the local markets of Cox’s Bazar and Saint Martin’s Regions. Prior to sampling the polyethylene bags were washed with 1M HNO₃ solution and rinsed thoroughly with distilled water. The samples were properly labelled and preserved at −20ºC to avoid the risk of hydrolysis and oxidation. The preserved dried fish samples were further dried under the sun for 2 - 4 days to remove water and then cut into small pieces followed by grinding. Dried fish samples were digested with concentrated HNO₃ and concentrated HCLO₄ for heavy metal determination. Briefly, about 0.5 g of each homogenized fish samples were measured into separate beaker. Then 8 ml of concentrated HNO₃ (65%) and 4 ml of HCLO₄ (70%) was added into the beaker. The mixture was mixed gently and allowed to digest on a hot plate in a fume chamber for 2 hrs at 70ºC until the brown fumes disappeared. The digested samples were filtered through the Whatman filter paper and each solution made up to 50 ml with deionized water and kept ready for Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) (AA-6300, Shmadzu, Japan) analysis. Spearman’s rank correlation matrix was used to calculate the correlation among the heavy metals in fish samples and the differences among the means of concentrations in fishes were analyzed by one-way ANOVA, followed by post-hoc test by Dunnett’s test.

Source of Information: Bangladesh J. Zool. 47(2): 293-304, 2019

Article Link (Online Journal): DOI: https://doi.org/10.3329/bjz.v47i2.44340

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

The concentration of heavy metals in dried fish sample were Cd: 0.0191 ± 0.02 - 0.0633 ± 0.001; Cr: 0.163 ± 0.025 - 8.5352 ± 0.03; Mn: 0.0924 ± 0.002 - 0.4026 ± 0.034; Fe: 9.3841 ± 0.05 - 66.7872 ± 0.01; Zn: 0.1473 ± 0.065 - 1.8146 ± 0.045 and Cu: 0.047 ± 0.05 - 0.198 ± 0.06. The order of heavy metals in the fish samples were Fe > Zn > Cr > Cu > Mn > Cd > Pb. Comparatively high concentrations of heavy metals were found to be accumulated in Mola (Amblypharyngodon mola), Rupchanda (Stromateus chinensis) and Chhuri (Trichiurus lepturus). In almost all the studied fish species, the concentration of Pb was below the detection limit but the concentration of heavy metals were within the international permissible limit given by WHO/EU except the concentration of Fe in fish Churi collected from Cox’s Bazar and Saint Martin’s regions. The findings of the present study indicated that the dried fish samples of the regions under study were safe for human consumption and appeared to be no immediate threat to these fish species from heavy metal contamination. Further investigation on the bioaccumulation and effects of heavy metals on fish and other aquatic biota are required to understand the effects of pollutants in aquatic environment.

Knowledge Management: Journal