title: Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals in Different Organs of Wallago attu from River Kabul Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
abstract: The aim of the study was to quantify the accumulation of heavy metals like Zn, Ni, Cr, Cu, Cd, Mn, Fe, and Hg in various organs of Wallago attu. Samples were collected from polluted parts of River Kabul and compared with control fish netted from Warsak Dam. The data indicated that the sequence of metal bioaccumulation in the skin, gills, and muscle was Zn > Cr > Pb > Cu > Ni > Fe > Mn > Hg > Cd, in the intestine was Zn > Pb > Cr > Cu > Ni > Fe > Mn > Hg > Cd, and in the liver was Zn > Pb > Cr > Cu > Ni > Fe > Mn > Hg > Cd. The overall metal burden in different tissues of W. attu was in the sequence of skin > gills > intestine > muscle > liver. The skin being the prime target organ showed that the route of metal uptake was the direct result of fish to metal exposure. The liver accumulated the least level of metals than other organs of the same fish.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Siraj
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. m_khisroon@upesh.edu.pk.
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khisroon
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Ajmal
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khan
mesh_terms: D000825:Animal Structures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002397:Catfishes / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism*; D010154:Pakistan; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy
keywords: Gills; Heavy metals; Intestine; Liver; Muscle; River Kabul; Skin; Wallago attu