Abstract

BIOACCUMULATION OF HEAVY METALS IN SELECTIVE TISSUES OF THE FISH OREOCHROMIS MOSSAMBICUS (PETERS) EXPOSED TO WATER SAMPLE COLLECTED FROM PALLIKARANAI WETLAND ECOSYSTEM, CHENNAI, TAMILNADU

Punitha S., Elumalai K. and Krishnamurthy R.*

Abstract

In the present investigation water sample was collected from Pallikaranai wetland ecosystem (12.9377°N 80.2153°E) and then brought to the laboratory. The fingerlings of freshwater fish was collected from Mohanoor (11.0599° N, 78.1422° E), Namakkal District of Tamilnadu, India. In the laboratory, the fish were segregated into three group (Group I, II and III) each group had 20 fish fingerlings average length of 4 to 5 cm and weight of 9.0 ± 0.5 g of sublethal concentrations of 1% and 3% (Group I: control (tap water free from chlorine); Group II: 1% (1 liter of tap water with 100 ml of experimental water) and Group III: 3% (1 liter of tap water with 300 ml of experimental water)) for a maximum period of 30 days. The accumulation of heavy metals such as copper, chromium, cadmium, zinc and lead were assessed in the selected target organs such as gill, liver, muscle and kidney of the selected fish fingerlings. The maximum level accumulation of Cu, Cr, Cd, Zn and Pb were recorded in the liver > kidney ˃ muscle ˃ gill of the fish O. mossambicus. The accumulation of selected heavy metals in various organs and the extent of heavy metal contamination of the Pallikaranai wetland ecosystem (unpublished data) indicates that there is an urgent need to frame strict legislative measures to prevent environmental pollution and save the reserve land of Pallikaranai wetland ecosystem.

Keywords: Pallikaranai wetland ecosystem, heavy metal, environmental pollution, Oreochromis mossambicus.