Contamination by heavy metals in silver fish (Rastreneobola argentea) caught from Lakes Kyoga and Victoria, Uganda

Little information exists on heavy metal contamination in silver fish (Rastreneobola argentea) caught from Lake Victoria. A large number of Ugandans consume the species. Sun-dried silver fish were collected from 10 landing sites on Lake Victoria, and from five control sites along Lake Kyoga. The fin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of environmental studies 2010-08, Vol.67 (4), p.543-556
Main Authors: Mbabazi, Jolocam, Wasswa, John
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agnatha. Pisces
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Applied ecology
Biological and medical sciences
Cadmium
Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife
Contamination
Copper
Environmental studies
Fish
Freshwater
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
General aspects
Health
Heavy metals
Lake Kyoga
Lake Victoria
Lakes
Lead (metal)
Rastreneobola argentea
Silver
Uganda
Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution
Zinc
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Summary:Little information exists on heavy metal contamination in silver fish (Rastreneobola argentea) caught from Lake Victoria. A large number of Ugandans consume the species. Sun-dried silver fish were collected from 10 landing sites on Lake Victoria, and from five control sites along Lake Kyoga. The finely ground fish was digested with analytical reagent grade nitric acid. Analyses were performed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The specimens were found to contain significantly higher levels (p ≤ 0.05) of zinc, Zn (86.1%), copper, Cu (99.1%), cadmium, Cd (99.3%) and lead, Pb (94.6%) compared with those from the control sites. The fish contamination was attributed to discharge into Lake Victoria of untreated industrial and anthropogenic effluent. Although mean Zn, Cu and Pb concentrations were still below, those of Cd were higher than the maximum permissible levels recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Overconsumption of the silver fish could pose Cd-related health risks.
ISSN:0020-7233
1029-0400
DOI:10.1080/00207233.2010.499000