Study on heavy metal content of Oreochromis niloticus, Heteropneustes fossilis and Pangasius sutchi collected from pond and open water

Present studies were conducted on the study of heavy metal content of three popular freshwater fish, tilapia Oreochromis niloticus, shing, Heteropneustes fossilis and pangus, Pangasius sutchi collected from pond and open water in Mymensingh. All samples were evaluated by studying unwanted heavy metal concentrations. Cadmium (Cd) concentration (μg/g) of pond water O. niloticus, H. fossilis and P. sutchi was found to be 0.21±0.02, 0.20±0.01 and 0.22±0.02 respectively and open water was 0.28±0.03, 0.25±0.02 and 0.29±0.03, respectively. Copper (Cu) concentration (μg/g) of pond water O. niloticus, H. fossilis and P. sutchi was 0.25±0.02, 0.29±0.03 and 0.21±0.02 respectively whereas open water had 0.28±0.01, 0.59±0.04 and 0.35±0.01 respectively. Lead (Pb) concentration (μg/g) of pond water O. niloticus and H. fossilis contained 0.07±0.01 and 0.08±0.01, respectively whereas the open water had 0.15±0.02 and 0.15±0.01, respectively. Pb concentration both in pond and in open water P. sutchi was nil. Pb concentration of O. niloticus was higher in open water fishes (0.15±0.02 μg/g) than the fishes of pond water (0.07±0.01 μg/g). Heavy metal concentration of O. niloticus, H. fossilis and P. sutchi was within permissible limits except Cd of open water fishes. The result revealed that open water fishes have higher concentration of heavy metals in their muscle than the fishes of pond water. The results indicate that the open water environment is polluted by various chemical composition as well as various toxic heavy metal pollutants.Res. Agric., Livest. Fish.5(1): 117-126, April 2018