Analysis of Accumulated Heavy Metal Concentrations in Various Body Parts of Chillapi (Oreochromis Mossambicus) Fish from Ujjani Reservoir of Maharashtra, India

The heavy metal contamination is creating devastating effects on ecosystem and environment and eventually hazardous to human health. Ujjani is one of the largest reservoir in Maharashtra state. It receives water from different metropolitan cities harboring numerous industries. Moreover, anthropogenic activities pollute water and fish fauna of the reservoir. In the present study, the concentrations of heavy metals such as Iron (Fe), Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), and Manganese (Mn) were analyzed from various tissues namely muscles, liver, gill, and fin of Chillapi fish. The variation in level of metals was found with respect to tissue types and body weight groups. The concentrations of Fe were ranged between 15.94 to 91.56µg/g, Cu concentration was between 1.88 to 48.88µg/g, Zn concentration was between 25.72 to 84.2µg/g and Mn was recorded between 2.12 to 28.48µg/g in Chillapi fish. Fe and Cu have recorded highest in the liver, whereas peak of Zn and Mn was detected in fins. Furthermore, the minimal metal concentrations were observed in muscle samples of all different weight groups. It shows that Fe, Zn, Cu concentration in all four tissues was within the limit, whereas the Mn level was found to be exceeding the permissible limit as prescribed FAO/WHO, 1989. The presence of heavy metals higher than normal level in fish bodies is a clear indicator of biomagnifications. Furthermore, THQ and HI values were within limit for all studied metals in fish but if consumed in excess amount may cause toxicity in humans. Therefore, daily intake of fish should be strictly monitored to avoid excess intake of these heavy metals. Our study signifies the importance of addressing the heavy metal contamination issue to avoid health related problems.