Assessment of Heavy Metals in Different Organs of Wallago Attu and Sperata seenghala at Different Sites of River Chenab, Pakistan

Abstract

Abstract Heavy metal contamination in water bodies poses a significant threat, leading to its accumulation in fish, raising concerns for both ecological balance and human consumption safety. The present study was aimed to see contamination of heavy metals like Zinc, Copper, Chromium, Mercury, Cadmium, and to assess amount of essential metals such as Iron, Sodium, Potassium, Calcium in skin, heart, gills, muscles, kidney and liver of two fish species Mullee (Wallago Attu) and Singhi (Sperata seenghala). The fish samples were collected from two different sites of Chenab River located in district Gujrat, Pakistan. Samples were analyzed with the help of Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (FAAS) at PCSIR. The pattern of metal accumulation of essential elements was observed in skin, liver, muscles, kidney, gills, and heart of both species in the order Na > K > Ca > Fe. Trend of heavy metals were recorded as Zn > Cu > Hg > Cd > Cr. The highest accumulation of heavy metal was found in skin of both species followed by heart, gills, muscles, kidney and liver. The highest concentration of Zinc were noticed in heart of both fish. Independent sample t test was applied and significant differences were noticed at .048 p value in the sites while, non-significant differences were notice at > 0.05 between two fish species. There were noticed a significant differences among metals, but non-significant differences were noticed in organs of two fish by one way ANOVA. The study revealed that Chenab River is being polluted with heavy metals because of unfiltered discharge from industries and sewage runoff, agriculture, and mining activities from surroundings.