Heavy Metals and Chemical Composition of Mullet Fish and Water Quality of Its Farms

• DOI: 10.21608/jhiph.2012.20125
• Publication Date: 2018-12-10T07:58:46Z
• Authors: Neveen Agamy; Ahmed Gomaa
• Keywords: 2. Zero hunger; R; water quality; 01 natural sciences; 6. Clean water; 13. Climate action; chemical composition; Medicine; 14. Life underwater; fish farms; heavy metals; 0105 earth and related environmental sciences

Background: Fish is a source of high-quality protein, supplying respectively ≈6% and ≈16.4% of the world’s and total animal protein requirements. Mullet production is mainly farm-based. Heavy metal accumulation in aquatic organisms is a serious sequel of aquatic system pollution. Objectives: to assess some heavy metal concentration and physiochemical composition of farm fish and water Methods: 60 mullet fish and 18 surface water samples were collected from three fish farms for determination of fish and water Cd, Zn, Cr, Cu and Pb concentrations as well as analysis of fish proximate chemical composition and water physiochemical parameters. Results: Only Pb and Zn exceeded the maximum permissible limit (MPL) in fish samples while Pb and Cd exceeded the MPL in water samples. Pb levels exceeded the MPL of fish (1.5 mg/kg) in 5% of fish samples while its concentration exceeded the MPL of water (0.01mg/l) in 50% and 33.3% of water samples during winter and summer respectively. Zn concentration exceeded the MPL (5 mg/kg) in about 6.5% of fish samples during winter season only. All water samples exceeded the MPL of Cd (0.003 mg/l) during winter only. Chemical analysis of fish revealed that there was no significant difference in protein content of mullet among different farms and between the two seasons. Conclusion: Pb and Zn accumulate in fish edible tissue inconsiderably high concentrations. Pb and Cd pollution should be monitored in fish farming water.