title: Monitoring of trace metals in tissues of Wallago attu (lanchi) from the Indus River as an indicator of environmental pollution.
abstract: We aimed to assess the bioaccumulation of selected four trace metals (Cd, Ni, Zn and Co) in four tissues (muscles, skin, gills and liver) of a freshwater fish Wallago attu (lanchi) from three different sites (upstream, middle stream and downstream) of the Indus River in Mianwali district of Pakistan. Heavy metal contents in water samples and from different selected tissues of fish were examined by using flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The data were statistically compared to study the effects of the site and fish organs and their interaction on the bioaccumulation pattern of these metals at P < 0.05. In W. attu the level of cadmium ranged from 0.004 to 0.24; nickel 0.003-0.708; cobalt 0.002-0.768 and zinc 47.4-1147.5 μg/g wet weight. The magnitude of metal bioaccumulation in different organs of fish species had the following order gills > liver > skin > muscle. The order of bioaccumulation of these metals was Ni < Zn < Co < Cd. Heavy metal concentrations were increased during the dry season as compared to the wet season. The results of this study indicate that freshwater fish produced and marketed in Mianwali have concentrations below the standards of FEPA/WHO for these toxic metals.
authors: Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
authors: K A
authors: KA
authors: Al-Ghanim
authors: Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia; Department of Zoology, GC University, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
authors: Shahid
authors: S
authors: Mahboob
authors: Department of Zoology, GC University, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
authors: Sadia
authors: S
authors: Seemab
authors: Department of Zoology, GC University, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Sultana
authors: Department of Zoology, GC University, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Sultana
authors: Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
authors: Fahad
authors: F
authors: Al-Misned
authors: Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
authors: Z
authors: Z
authors: Ahmed
keywords: Bioaccumulation; Freshwater fish; Gills; Liver; Muscle; Skin