Heavy metals (cadmium and lead) in the estuarine croaker, Pseudotolithus elongatus from Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Abstract

A study to determine the concentrations of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) in the muscles of Pseudotolithus elongatus as well as estimating the condition and growth pattern of the fish was carried out in 2013. Ten samples of the croaker P. elongatus were purchased from the Mile One market, Port Harcourt, Nigeria and their edible muscle analyzed for concentrations of the heavy metals Cd and Pb using atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS model GBC Avanta 2.02). The concentrations of Cd and Pb in the muscle of P. elongatus ranged from 0.5 to 9.57 mg/kg and 7.08 to 12.71 mg/kg respectively. These concentrations were higher than the FAO permissible limit of 0.5 mg/kg for Pb and Cd in all sampled fish.The concentration of Pb (9.76±0.55) was higher than the concentration of Cd (1.63±0.88) in all fish samples. The results indicated that consumption of this estuarine croaker from the Mile One market in Port Harcourt might pose a potential health risk because of the high concentration of Pb which could accumulate in the soft tissue and bones of the consumers.

Keywords: Bioaccumulation, trace metals, pollutants, toxicity, Mile One market, Port Harcourt