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ASSESMENT OF HEAVY METAL CONCENTRATION IN ilisha african
FROM IKO RIVER ESTUARY
A RESEARCH PROJECT
BY
JAMES, ROSE AKPAN
AK16/NAS/CHM/027
SUBMITTED TO
DEPARTMENT OF MARINE BIOLOGY
FACULTY OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

AKWA IBOM STATE UNIVERSITY, IKOT AKPADEN, MKPAT ENIN L.G.A.
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Modern society has recently faced a significant issue in the
form of environmental contamination. Among other
environmental pollutants, heavy metals are well-known and
cause more worry because of their toxicity to living things,
especially marine life. Due to the metals' indestructibility and
the fact that the majority of them have hazardous effects on
species, the pollution of the aquatic environment with heavy
metals has become a global issue and a matter of scientific
Figure 1 -Map of the study area
concern.
As a result of their high persistence, more than ten (10) heavy Iko River estuary is located in Eastern
metals, including cobalt (Co), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), Obolo Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom
State, in the Niger Delta region, Nigeria.
arsenic (As), thallium (Tl), nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn), zinc
The area lies within latitude 4°0 30’ N and
(Zn), cadmium (Cd), and chromium (Cr), have special 4°45 ’ N, and longitude 7°35 ’ E and 7°40’
significance in ecotoxicology. E.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Heavy metals are metallic elements with high atomic weights and densities that are present in the air, soil, and water, posing a
risk to human health. Heavy metal contamination results from widespread improper disposal and untreated wastewater
containing heavy metal from anthropogenic sources, causing water contamination. Heavy metals bioaccumulate and can
ultimately harm human health through the food chain and trophic levels (Belin & Salleh, 2013). Regulations have been put in
place worldwide to control contamination, but the concentration of heavy metals being released from anthropogenic point
sources is still higher than permitted, causing health risks (Wu & Chen, 2013). Heavy metals are of great concern in aquatic
ecosystems because of their toxicity, extended persistence, and accumulative behavior. They are also among the most significant
and prevalent classes of endocrine disrupting substances. Fish and other aquatic creatures may be exposed to heavy metals
through gills, ingestion, and bioaccumulation (Abdel-Baki & Al-Quraishy, 2013). Heavy metals can damage aquatic and
terrestrial ecosystems and become part of the food chain through biomagnification. Fishes are reliable bio-indicators of aquatic
ecosystems since they occupy higher trophic levels and are an important food source of humans (Varol & Şen, 2012).
Heavy metals have negative effects on aquatic organisms due to their toxicity, persistence, and bio-accumulation in sediment.
Copper, lead, and zinc are the major heavy metals found in aquatic systems, and their maximum permitted amounts according to
EPA are 1.0 ppm, 0.1 ppm, and 15 ppm, respectively. Exposure to heavy metals may cause disturbances in metal and protein
metabolism, leading to retardation in growth, inhibition of respiratory enzymes, changes in locomotive behavior, and
reproductive failure (Ebrahimi & Taherianfard, 2011). Heavy metals interact with external environmental conditions, which may
change their quantities in the sediment, and toxic impacts can be seen in locations distant from the pollution source (Rahman et
al., 2012).
INSTRUMENTS USED
GPS, Tape, Salinometer, Dissolved Oxygen meter, polyethylene Sample Bottles, Petri Dish, Van veen
grab sampler, Sieve, Thermometer, pH meter, Secchi disc, and Buckets
IN-SITU ANALYSIS OF PHYSICOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS
Secchi disk– measuring turbidity, Refractometer – measuring salinity and Mercury-in-glass
thermometer for measuring temperature.
EX-SITU ANALYSIS OF PHYSICOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS

• pH – pH was measured ex-situ using the pH meter and DISSOLVED OXYGEN/CONDUCTIVITY– this was
measured using the portable conductivity / (DO).
SAMPLE COLLECTION
Samples of llisha africana used for this research were bought from a landing site in Iko river.
SAMPLE PREPARATION AND DIGESTION

The fish samples were cleaned and dissected to obtain tissue and flesh portions. The flesh was rinsed, air dried,
blended, sieved, and preserved. For the digestion process, 2g of each sample was mixed with HNO3, HClO4, and HF,
and heated for an hour. The resulting solution was filtered and transferred into a volumetric flask, then labeled and
prepared for AAS analysis.
RESULT
CHART OF IN-SITU PHYSICO-
Table 1- Result of In-situ Physico-Chemical parameter analysis CHEMICAL PARAMETERS
PARAMETERS TEMP SALINI WATER 120
(OC) TY CLARITY 100
(PPT) (Cm) 80 TEMPERATURE (OC)
60 SALINITY (PPT)
IKO JETTY 32 28 57 WATER CLARITY (Cm)
40
20
BELLA CREEK 33 23 112 0
IKO JETTY BELLA CREEK ESTUARINE
MOUTH
ESTUARINE MOUTH 34 30 67
Figure 2 - Column chart representing Temp, Salinity and water
clarity values in station one, two and three
Table 2- Results of Ex-situ Physico-Chemical parameter analysis
PARAMETERS pH DO CONDUCTI TDS CHART OF EX-SITU PHYSICO-
(Mg/l) VITY (Mg/l)
(μs/cm)
CHEMICAL PARAMETERS
IKO JETTY 7.6 2.8 1350 3350 10
8 pH
6 DO (Mg/l)
BELLA CREEK 7.6 2.5 1435 3490 4
2
ESTUARINE 8.0 2.3 4343 3950 0 IKO JETTY BELLA CREEK ESTUARINE
MOUTH MOUTH
Figure 3- Column chart representing pH and dissolved oxygen
values in station one, two and three.
RESULT AND DISCUSSION
Table 3 - The results of the analysis of the CONCENTRATION OF HEAVY METAL
concentration heavy metals in flesh and 2.5
gills of Ilisha africana 2
FLESH
METALS FLESH GILLS 1.5 GILLS
LEAD 0.71 1.26
ZINC 0.53 1.09 1
IRON 1.20 2.31 0.5
CADMIUM 0.80 2.15 0 LEAD ZINC IRON CADMIUM NICKEL
NICKEL 0.01 0.03
Figure 5 - Chart showing the concentration heavy metals in flesh and
gills of Ilisha africana
The study aimed to determine the heavy metal content in Ilisha africana fish samples from the Iko River Estuary. The
results showed that the heavy metal concentration in the gills was higher than that in the flesh. Lead and Cadmium
concentrations were above the WHO permissible limits, with lead being attributed to recent heavy industrialization in
the area. Zinc concentration was higher than the permissible limit, and while it is essential for aquatic plants and
animals, excessive amounts can be toxic. Iron concentration was below the permissible limit. Nickel concentration was
below the limit, possibly due to fishing activities or water runoff. The study suggests that heavy metal pollution in the
Iko estuary is a cause for concern, and action needs to be taken to prevent future risks to both aquatic and non-aquatic
animals, especially for consumers of Ilisha africana.
CONCLUSION
This study aims to evaluate the concentration of heavy metals in Illisha africana in a particular area and
estimate the associated health and ecological risks. Heavy metals are known to be harmful to human
health, and this study found that the concentration of heavy metals in Illisha africana is of moderate risk,
indicating a need for attention to address the issue.
RECOMMENDATION
I recommend therefore that good hygiene, and control measures be ensured with the creation and
implementation of stiffer laws to regulate them.
REFERENCES
Abdel-Baki, A. & Al-Quraishy, S. (2013). Bioaccumulation of some heavy metals in tilapia fish relevant to their
concentration in water and sediment of Wadi Hanifah, Saudi Arabia. African Journal of Biotechnology,
10(13), 2541–2547.
Belin, S. & Salleh, A. (2013). Heavy metal contamination in water and sediment of the Port Klang coastal area ,
Selangor , Malaysia, 2013–2025. doi:10.1007/s12665-012-2038-8
Varol, M., and Şen, B. (2012). Assessment of nutrient and heavy metal contamination in surface water and
sediments of the upper Tigris River, Turkey. CATENA, 92, 1–10. doi:10.1016/j.catena.2011.11.011
Wu, Y., & Chen, J. (2013). Investigating the effects of point source and nonpoint source pollution on the water
quality of the East River (Dongjiang) in South China. Ecological Indicators, 32, 294–304.
doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2013.04.002
Ebrahimi, M. and Taherianfard, M. (2011). The effects of heavy metals exposure on reproductive systems of
cyprinid fish from Kor River. Iranian Journal of Fisheries Sciences, 10(1), 13–24.
Rahman, M. S., Molla, A. H., Saha, N. and Rahman, A. (2012). Study on heavy metals levels and its risk
assessment in some edible fishes from Bangshi River, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Food Chemistry, 134(4),
1847–54. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2012.03.099

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ASSESMENT OF HEAVY METAL CONCENTRATION IN ilisha african

FROM IKO RIVER ESTUARY

JAMES, ROSE AKPAN

DEPARTMENT OF MARINE BIOLOGY

FACULTY OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

EX-SITU ANALYSIS OF PHYSICOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS

SAMPLE PREPARATION AND DIGESTION

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