POTENTIAL HEALTH RISK OF HEAVY METALS VIA FISHES FROM DIFFERENT WATER SOURCES IN SOME PARTS OF PATUAKHALI DISTRIC OF BANGLADESH

Abstract

Irrigation by water with industrial effluents, wholesale use of pesticides and resources and impromptu urbanization result in heavy metal contamination in agricultural produces and thereby human health complicacies .Biomonitoring fish and their potential health risks involved are of prime importance for the time being. Concentration of heavy metals in nine different fish species (Spotted snakehead, Indian catfish, Tyangra, Yellow tail mullet, Panna croaker, Gora chela, Bombay duck, Gangetic sillago, Chinese silvery pomfret) collected from sea, river and pond at Patuakhali District, were measured by using the Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS).Variations in concentrations of heavy metals were recorded among studied fish species. In all the sites, the pattern of metals exhibited the following trend: Cr > Ni > Pb> Cd. The concentration of all metals was found to be higher in the sea fishes as compared to river and pond fishes. Sea fish Chinese silvery pomfret (Rupchanda) and Gangetic sillago (Tulardandi) had the highest single factor pollution index (Pi) of most the heavy metals. . The sum of pollution index was also the highest in Chinese silvery pomfret (5.18), followed by Gangetic sillago (5.03) and Bombay duck(5.94).These a fishes had also the highest metal pollution index (0.0003 in Chinese silvery pomfret, 0.0003 in Gangetic sillago 0.0003 in Bombay duck). The hazard quotients were different for different people groups. Among the fishes, sea fishes had higher hazard quotients for Pb, Cr and Ni. The hazard quotient of Cr analyzed in fishes for male, female and children was higher than Pb, Cd and Ni. The highest hazard index was estimated for children (0.143),indicates alarming condition for the people group. The female group had the second highest hazard index, shows vulnerability to the heavy metals, if exposed for long-term. Continuous monitoring of heavy metal status in fishes should been forced all over Bangladesh for health concern of peoples of all ages.