Environ Monit Assess (2015) 187:768

DOI 10.1007/s10661-015-4937-0

Bioaccumulation of heavy metals in Mbaa River

and the impact on aquatic ecosystem
M. N. O. Ajima & P. C. Nnodi & O. A. Ogo &
G. S. Adaka & D. I. Osuigwe & D. C. Njoku

Received: 4 May 2015 / Accepted: 20 October 2015

# Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2015

Abstract The bioaccumulation and toxic effects of consumption. The study also reveals the use of fish as
heavy metals have caused ecological damage to aquatic bioindicator of aquatic environment.
ecosystem. In this study, concentration of heavy metals
including zinc, lead, cadmium, iron, and copper were Keywords Accumulation . Fish . Heavy metals . Mbaa
determined in the sediment and water as well as in the River . Pollution
muscle, gill, and intestine of two fish species
(Pelmatochromis guentheri and Pelmatochromis
pulcher) of Mbaa River in Southeastern Nigeria. Sam-
Introduction
ples were collected at three different spots from the river,
and the level of heavy metals specified above were
Contamination of aquatic environment by heavy metals
determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS)
poses a risk to aquatic lives and is of great concern to
after a modified wet digestion process. The results indi-
many researchers, hence the need for considerable at-
cated that sediment had the highest concentration of the
tention and concerted efforts at both local and interna-
heavy metals investigated while water had the lowest
tional levels. The term Bheavy metal^ refers to any
concentration. Fish tissues showed appreciable bioaccu-
metallic element which is relatively of high density
mulation of these metals as evidenced by a higher con-
and toxic or poisonous even at low concentration
centration profile when compared with that of water.
(Lenntech 2004).The consequence of heavy metal pol-
Furthermore, the concentration of these heavy metals
lution is not only a threat to fish and other aquatic lives
in water and their bioconcentration factor in the fish
but also of significant health risks to consumers
were above the recommended limit by WHO and FEPA,
(Alhashemi et al. 2012; Yi et al. 2011). Heavy metals
indicating that Mbaa River along Inyishi may not be
when ingested in excess amounts or allowed to accu-
suitable for drinking nor the fish safe for human
mulate above tolerable limits can lead to random bind-
ing with cellular biomolecules such as enzymes and
other proteins to form complexes which may compro-
M. N. O. Ajima (*) : P. C. Nnodi : G. S. Adaka :
mise their structure and/or function (Duruibe et al.
D. I. Osuigwe : D. C. Njoku 2007). Aquatic environment may be contaminated with
Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture Technology, Federal many heavy metals from different natural and anthropo-
University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria genic sources, including industrial or domestic waste
e-mail: malajimo@gmail.com water, application of pesticides and inorganic fertilizers,
O. A. Ogo storm runoff, leaching from landfills, shipping and har-
Department of Biochemistry, College of Health Sciences, Benue bor activities, as well as geological weathering of the
State University, Makurdi, Nigeria earth crust and atmospheric deposition. Studies have
768 Page 2 of 9
shown that some of these metals accumulate in tissues of
aquatic animals at concentrations that can be considered
as indicators of public health concern both to animals
directly and humans upon consumption of aquatic foods
(Ashraf 2005; Yilmaz 2009; Montalvo et al. 2014;
Farombi et al. 2007; Abdel-Baki et al. 2011).
Fish is one of the reliable indicative factors in fresh-
water systems and accumulation levels in fish can be
used for the estimation of trace metal pollution
(Kalyoncu et al. 2012). Reports on the effects of distri-
bution and accumulation of heavy metals at high levels
in various organs of fish and water bodies are well
documented (Yıldırım et al. 2009; Benzer et al. 2013;
Stancheva et al. 2013; Javed and Usmani 2014; Pulatsü
and Topçu 2015).
In Nigeria, toxicity of heavy metals to fish that em-
anates from industrial discharges of untreated wastes has
been reported. Alinor and Obiji (2010) noted the con-
tamination of Nworie River with heavy metals such as
Pb, Fe, Cd, Mn, Hg, Cu, and Zn and suggested that this
could be transferred to man upon consumption. Farombi
et al. (2007) reported accumulation of heavy metals in
some vital organs of Clarias gariepinus as well as
aquatic environmental stress using antioxidant enzyme
system and malondialdehyde formation as surrogate
biomarkers of aquatic pollution in African catfish of
Ogun River in Nigeria.
Mbaa River, located in Imo State, Southeastern Ni-
geria, is extensively contaminated with untreated efflu-
ents from aluminum extrusion industries located at close
proximity to the river. This problem is compounded by
the fact that many other surrounding rivers which have
been reportedly contaminated flow into Mbaa River,
thus increasing the risk of drinking water or consuming
fish from this source. There have been growing interests
in assessing levels of heavy metals in aquatic environ-
ments in general and of fishes in particular. Such inter-
ests are aimed at ensuring the safety of food supply and
to minimize the potential hazardous effect to human
health exposed to such contaminated fish and drinking
polluted water.
Pelmatochromis guentheri and Pelmatochromis
pulcher are freshwater fishes of the Cichlid family that
are of great commercial importance not only because of
their nutritive value but also their use as aquarium fish
species. The present study was therefore designed to
determine the accumulation of zinc, lead, cadmium,
iron, and copper in water, sediment, and in the muscle,
gill and intestine of the fish species and to assess the
Environ Monit Assess (2015) 187:768
potential public health risks that may be associated with
consuming fishes obtained from Mbaa River.
Materials and methods
Study area
Mbaa River has its source at Ugiri community in Isiala
Mbaino Local Government Area of Imo State from
where it flows into Oramiriukwa River and to Inyishi
(the study area is shown Fig. 1). Inyishi lies between
longitudes 7° 11′ E and 7° 12′ E of Greenwich and
between latitudes 5° 34′ N and 5° 38′ N of the equator.
The vegetation is rain forest and farming is the predom-
inant occupation of inhabitant of this area, supplement-
ed by fishing. The area serves as a depository site for
effluents and other pollutants from domestic and indus-
trial sources such as aluminum extrusion industries lo-
cated few meters away from Mbaa River. Fishing is
carried out at different sites in the river, while the water
is used for drinking and other domestic purposes by the
adjoining communities.
Collection of samples
Water sample was obtained below the water surface of
the river by using 1-l acid-leached polythene bottles at
three different points in each of the sampling stations.
The rate of 0.5 l of the water samples were collected at
each sampling station. The samples were acidified with
10 % HNO3, placed in an ice bath, and taken to the
laboratory. The samples were then filtered through a
0.45-μm micropore membrane filter and kept at 4 °C
for analysis.
Sediment samples were collected at three different
points in each of the three sampling stations using Van
Veen Grab Sampler. These were then dried, ground to
fine powder, and stored at −20 °C in labeled polythene
bags until required for analysis.
A total of 18 fish specimens of P. guentheri and P.
pulcher (mean weight 35 ± 0.05 g) were caught from the
three sampling stations of the river through the services
of a hired fisherman. The fish specimens were put into
an ice box and transported to the laboratory. The fish
samples were washed with distilled water, sealed in
polyethylene bags, and kept in a freezer until use for
analysis.
Environ Monit Assess (2015) 187:768
Fig. 1 Map showing Mbaa River (source: Google)
Determination of heavy metals in the samples
Heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cu, Fe, and Cd) were determined
in the water samples using atomic absorption spectro-
photometer (AAS) (Unicam 919, Analytical Technolo-
gy Inc., Cambridge, UK). Sediment samples were
weighed and placed into the digestion bombs with
10 ml of HNO3/HCl (1:3 v/v) and digested in a micro-
wave digestion system.
Prior to determination of metal content in the fish
gills, muscle, and intestine, the samples were homog-
enized and digested with 0.1 N HCl following the
methods of Manutsewee et al. (2007). In the proce-
dure, wet digestion process with different concentra-
tions and volumes of acids were used. One gram of
each homogenate (gill, muscle, and intestine) was
taken and placed into a digestion mixture containing
high purity HNO3, HCl (10 M) and H2O2 (35 %) in
the ratio of 3:1:2. The samples were heated at
130 °C until a clear solution indicating complete
dissolution was obtained. This was left in the fume
Page 3 of 9 768
cupboard to cool for 20 h, followed by total dis-
lodgement of the metals from the samples and,
thereafter, filtered through Whatman filter paper.
The digested portion was diluted to a final volume
of 50 ml with de-ionized water. Determination of the
elements in the fish parts was carried out using
AAS. The results were expressed as micrograms
per gram wet weight.
Bioconcentration factor (BCF) was determined ac-
cording to the methods of Lau et al. (1998) using the
following formula:
BCFfish ¼ C fish =C water
where Cfish is the metal concentration in fish in milli-
grams per kilogram, Cwater is the metal concentration in
water in milligrams per liter, and BCF fish is the
bioconcentration factor for the organism (fish).
768 Page 4 of 9
Statistical analysis
Data obtained were analyzed using SPSS statistical
software version 20.0 (SPSS Inc. Chicago, IL, USA).
Differences in test concentrations and control were sub-
jected to one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA)
followed by Duncan’s multiple range tests to determine
level of significance at 5 % probability level. The results
were expressed as mean ± standard error.
Results and discussion
Heavy metal concentration in sediment and water
The results of heavy metal concentration in the sediment
and water samples are presented in Table 1. It was
observed that sediment contained the highest concentra-
tion of Fe (56.14 ± 1.23 mg/kg) followed by water
(5.68 ± 0.23 mg/l). The mean concentration of Pb in
the sediment was 8.23 ± 0.23 mg/kg while that in the
water samples was 2.08 ± 0.02 mg/kg. Zinc had mean
concentration of 3.18 ± 0.12 mg/kg in the sediment and
0.65 ± 0.01 mg/l in the water sample. The mean con-
centrations of Cd and Cu in the sediment and water
samples were 1.09 ± 0.90 and 5.64 ± 0.04 mg/kg and
0.44 ± 0.02 and 1.06 ± mg/l, respectively. Although the
concentration of all metals analyzed was found to be
higher in sediment compared with water, Cd was re-
corded as having the lowest mean concentration in both
sediment and water samples. The order of heavy metal
concentration in sediment and water sample followed
the same pattern as Fe > Pb > Cu > Zn > Cd.
The amount of metal present in sediments is indica-
tive of the degree of pollution and could serve as a
Table 1 Concentration of heavy metals in sediment, water, and
fish (P. guentheri and P. pulcher) samples of Mbaa River
Heavy Sediment Water (mg/ P. pulcher P. guentheri
metal (mg/kg) l) (mg/kg) (mg/kg)
Pb 8.23 ± 0.23 2.08 ± 0.02 5.40 ± 0.21 3.57 ± 0.24
Zn 3.18 ± 0.12 0.65 ± 0.01 2.21 ± 0.34 2.24 ± 0.08
Cd 1.09 ± 0.09 0.44 ± 0.02 0.59 ± 0.02 0.30 ± 0.01
Cu 5.64 ± 0.04 1.06 ± 0.04 2.61 ± 0.23 3.65 ± 0.15
Fe 56.14 ± 1.23 5.68 ± 0.23 17.19 ± 1.01 14.68 ± 1.03
Data are presented as mean ± SE
Environ Monit Assess (2015) 187:768
source of solubilization into water depending on the
physicochemical parameters and the uptake by benthic
organisms (Ogoyi et al. 2011). Sediments are important
reservoir for various pollutants such as pesticides and
heavy metals and also play a significant role in the
remobilization of contaminants in aquatic environment
under favorable conditions (Rashed 2001). Similarly,
sediments have been reported as a major depository of
heavy metals holding more than 99 % of the total
amount of metal present in the aquatic system (Ozturk
et al. 2009). The observation presented in this study that
sediments accumulated more heavy metals than the
water and fish samples is in consonance with other
documented studies (Adejare et al. 2011; Ambedkar
and Muniyan 2012; Edward et al. 2013).
The concentration of Fe, Cu, Cd, and Pb in water as
indicated in our study is higher than those reported by
Mohamed and Osman (2014) in White Nile Sudan and
Dusukcan et al. (2014) in Karakaya Dam Lake in Tur-
key but lower than the report of (Odoemelam et al.
2014) in both water and sediment from Cross River at
Afikpo, Nigeria. Comparatively, the concentration of
heavy metals found in water and sediment samples in
this study was higher than the recommended
permissible levels prescribed by regulatory bodies
such as WHO (2003) and FEPA (2003), thus predispos-
ing aquatic lives of Mbaa River to toxicity.
The result of assessment of heavy metal content of
P. guentheri and P. pulcher as presented in (Table 1)
showed that the concentrations of Fe
(17.19 ± 1.01 mg/kg) and Pb (5.40 ± 0.21 mg/kg) were
higher in P. pulcher while Cd had the lowest concentra-
tion of 0.59 ± 0.02 mg/kg. A similar pattern was ob-
served in P. guentheri. However, the mean concentra-
tions of Pb and Fe were higher in P. pulcher compared
with P. guentheri, while there were higher concentra-
tions of Zn and Cu in P. guentheri. Statistical analysis
showed that there was no significant difference
(p > 0.05) in mean concentration of the various heavy
metals in the fish species studied. The heavy metal
concentration in the study area vary according to the
rank profile of sediment > fish > water. The concentra-
tion of metals in the fish species studied may be attrib-
uted to the feeding habit of the species, which are
regarded as bottom feeders, thus are exposed to more
of these elements. It is possible that the fishes consumed
food which was mixed with the metals in the bottom
sediment, thereby increasing the concentration of the
metals in their body. The higher concentration of metals
Environ Monit Assess (2015) 187:768
in P. pulcher may be attributed to the fact that P. pulcher
consumed more of the sediment in the process of feed-
ing than the P. guentheri. This assertion is supported by
the observation that the concentrations of metal in fish
tissues is dependent on feeding behavior and may be
derived from metal content in benthic organisms living
in the polluted sediment (Ben Salem et al. 2014).
Heavy metal concentration in fish tissues
The two fish species studied were found to have accumu-
lated heavy metals at varying degrees in their organs
(muscle, gill, and intestine). It is known that essential
metals such as Fe, Cu, and Zn and non-essential metals
including Cd and Pb are toxic even in trace amounts and
have been reported to be bioaccumulated in both fish
species (Fernandes et al. 2008). The results of the levels
of concentration of heavy metals in the muscle, gill, and
intestine of P. guentheri and P. pulcher as presented in
(Table 2) showed that Fe was found to have the highest
concentration of the heavy metals in the tissues of both
fish species studied. The highest concentration of the
heavy metals was recorded in the gill while the least was
recorded in the muscle. The gill tissues play an important
role in metal ion regulation and nitrogenous wastes excre-
tion which signifies a key role for these tissues at the
interface with the environment (Karthikeyan et al. 2007).
The higher accumulation of the heavy metal in the gill
may be attributed to the fact that gills are in direct contact
with the contaminated water allowing easy penetration of
these metals through its thin epithelium. This position is
supported by previous studies that identified gill as
possessing the thinnest epithelium, which facilitates its
respiratory and filtration functions (Bebianno et al. 2004;
Oluyemi et al. 2008). Accumulation of metals in different
fish species depends on the bioavailable metal concentra-
tion in the abiotic components of their habitats, their
feeding habits, ecological needs, metabolism, age, and
size of the fish (Marcovecchio 2004). The relatively lower
concentration of heavy metals recorded in the muscle
compared to the gills and gut might suggest the transfer
of these metals from the gill to gut, liver, and kidneys
during metabolic processes. Madhusadan et al. (2003)
noted that under metal-induced stress, the metal burden
is shifted to these organs where they could easily be
sequestered or excreted.
Muscles are not active tissue regarding bioaccumu-
lation when compared to the gills and liver (Visnjic-
Jeftic et al. 2010; Shukla et al. 2007; Bajc et al.
Page 5 of 9 768
2005).The differences in the level of accumulation of
metals in the different organs studied may not be un-
connected with the differences in the physiological roles
of each organ as alluded to by (Karuppasamy 2004).
Our findings are consistent with those of Edward et al.
(2013) and Nwani et al. (2010) who reported the highest
accumulation of heavy metals in gill of the fish species
at Afikpo and Odo-Ayo Rivers both in Nigeria, respec-
tively. Also, Stancheva et al. (2013) and Ben Salem et al.
(2014) reported similar findings in Bulgaria Black Sea
Coast and in draining system pond in France. In
addition, Mohamed and Osman (2014) documented
higher concentration of heavy metal in White Nile.
However, these findings appear to differ from the re-
ports of Olaifa et al. (2004) who documented lower
concentration of heavy metals in the gills and bones
compared to muscles and intestines of C. gariepinus in
lake and fish farm in Ibadan, Nigeria.
Iron, an important element in human diet, is involved
in the biosynthesis of hemoglobin in the red blood
corpuscles and as it plays a significant role in metabolic
processes being a component of many enzymes (Ed-
ward et al. 2013). High intake of Fe, however, can cause
excess Fe to be stored in the organs, which may result in
iron overload (Stancheva et al. 2014). Although the
concentration of Fe found in Mbaa River is lower than
that of Cross River at Afikpo, Nigeria (Odoemelam et al.
2014), the mean value in the fish parts far exceeded the
WHO (2003) and FEPA (2003) recommended limits of
0.5 mg/kg in fish foods (Table 3).
The concentration of Pb recorded in this research is
also higher in the gill of the fish species compared to
other tissues. Statistical analysis showed that there was
no significant difference (p > 0.05) in the mean values of
Pb and Cd in the tissues. However, there was a signif-
icant difference (p < 0.05) between the mean concentra-
tion of Zn in the muscle and gill; Cu in the muscle, gill,
and intestine; and Fe between the muscle and intestine.
The order of the concentration of heavy metals in the
tissues was gill > intestine > muscle.
Lead is one of the most ubiquitous and useful metal
known to humans and it is detectable in all phases of the
inert environment and in biological systems (Castro-
González and Méndez-Armenta 2008). Moreover,
lead-induced changes in the histological structure of
gills and kidneys (Palaniappan et al. 2008) have been
reported to cause neuropsychological and functional
decline in humans (Mason et al. 2014). The concentra-
tion of lead recorded in the fish species in this study
768 Page 6 of 9 Environ Monit Assess (2015) 187:768

Table 2 Concentration (μg/g wet wt.) of heavy metals in the muscle, gill, and intestine of fish species of Mbaa River

Fish Tissue Pb Zn Cd Cu Fe

P. guentheri Muscle 1.02 ± 0.09a 0.28 ± 0.08ab 0.05 ± 0.01c 0.30 ± 0.10ab 4.56 ± 1.16b
b b a c
Gill 1.45 ± 0.13 1.0.29 ± 0.38 0.16 ± 0.01 2.07 ± 0.28 5.10 ± 0.38d
b c a b
Intestine 1.10 ± 0.33 0.67 ± 0.11 0.09 ± 0.01 1.28 ± 0.65 5.02 ± 0.81d
a b b b
P. pulcher Muscle 1.48 ± 0.53 0.49 ± 0.14 0.28 ± 0.19 0.34 ± 0.14 4.41 ± 0.20c
Gill 2.08 ± 0.27c 0.99 ± 0.17b 0.18 ± 0.01a 1.50 ± 0.44c 6.06 ± 0.42d
c b a b
Intestine 1.84 ± 0.33 0.73 ± 0.08 0.13 ± 0.02 0.76 ± 0.12 6.72 ± 0.44d

Data (n = 36) are presented as mean ± SE. Values with different superscript across the rows differ significantly (p < 0.05) at 5 % probability
level

exceeded WHO (2003) and FEPA (2003) recom-
mended limits of 2.0 mg/kg indicating that the fish
are unsafe for human consumption. However, our
result is higher than the reports of Dusukcan et al.
(2014) in Karakaya Dam Lake of Turkey but low-
er than the report of Khan et al. (2014) in fish
species of river Buriganga in Bangladesh.
Although Cu is an essential element that is carefully
regulated by physiological mechanisms in most organ-
isms (Erdoĝrul and Ates 2006), when accumulated to
higher amounts could pose health hazards to both
animals and humans (Bashir et al. 2013).The maximum
average concentration of Cu in the present study is lower
than that recorded in gills of Channa punctatus from the
canal water at Kasimpur, India, as reported by Javed
et al. (2015) and the maximum acceptable limit
recommended by WHO (2003) and FEPA (2003),
which is 3.0 mg/kg. This result implies that consump-
tion of the fish with Cu bioaccumulation from the study
area may not pose any health hazards to consumers.
The occupational levels of Cd exposure prove to be a
risk factor for chronic lung disease and testicular degen-
eration (Stancheva et al. 2013). In the present study, the
lowest concentration of Cd was recorded in the muscle,
whereas the highest mean values were found in gills.
Cadmium is a non-essential metal that is potentially
toxic to most freshwater organisms including fish as
well as wildlife. Studies have shown that cadmium
poses a serious ecological threat and contributes greatly
to toxicity response rate, being more toxic than arsenic
and lead (Min et al. 2013).The concentration of Cd in
this study is, however, lower than the maximum permis-
sible value recommended by WHO (2003).
Zinc is involved in many cellular processes either as
structural component of regulatory proteins or catalytic
part of enzymes. However, when accumulated in high
amounts can be deleterious to all living organisms in-
cluding fish. For instance, Zn can be toxic above the
limit of 50 μg/g in the muscle (Ardakani and Jafari
2014). The maximum mean concentration of Zn in the
fish species in this study was below that reported in
Arius thalassinus and Johnius belangeri species from
the coastal waters of Kapa and Mersing, Malaysia, by
Bashir et al. (2013). The concentration of zinc here also
falls below the maximum acceptable limit in fish rec-
ommended by FAO (1983) indicating that consumption
of fish from Mbaa River may not predispose consumers
to zinc toxicity.

Table 3 Recommended levels

for heavy metals in water, sedi- Heavy metals Water Sediment Fish
ment, and fish Maximum permissible Maximum permissible Maximum permissible
limit WHO/FEPA limit WHO/FEPA limit WHO/FEPA
(mg/l) (mg/kg) (mg/kg)

Fe 0.300 0.030 0.5

Zn 3.00 0.0123 30 (FAO 1983)
Pb 0.010 0.040 2.0
Cu 1.000 0.025 3.0
Cd 0.003 0.006 0.5
Source: Edward et al. (2013)
Environ Monit Assess (2015) 187:768 Page 7 of 9 768

Table 4 Bioconcentration factor (BCF) of heavy metals in the muscle, gill, and intestine of fish species of Mbaa River

Fish Tissue Pb Zn Cd Cu Fe

P. guentheri Muscle 0.49 ± 0.01a 0.43 ± 0.05a 0.11 ± 0.03b 0.28 ± 0.01b 0.80 ± 0.06c
a b c b
Gill 0.70 ± 0.02 1.98 ± 0.09 0.36 ± 0.01 1.95 ± 0.07 0.89 ± 0.02a
a b c b
Intestine 0.52 ± 0.02 1.03 ± 0.04 0.20 ± 0.01 1.21 ± 0.06 0.88 ± 0.06d
a a a b
P. pulcher Muscle 0.71 ± 0.06 0.75 ± 0.03 0.64 ± 0.03 0.32 ± 0.01 0.78 ± 0.03a
Gill 1.00 ± 0.03a 1.52 ± 0.08b 0.41 ± 0.04c 1.42 ± 0.08b 1.07 ± 0.05a
a b c a
Intestine 0.84 ± 0.04 1.12 ± 0.04 0.30 ± 0.04 0.72 ± 0.05 1.18 ± 0.09b

Data are presented as mean ± SE. Values with different superscript across the rows differ significantly (p < 0.05) at 5 % probability level

Bioconcentration factor of metals in fish tissues
The bioconcentration (BCF) in the gill, muscle, and intes-
tine of the fish species studied (Table 4.) showed that there
is appreciable accumulation of the different heavy metals
in different tissues, which may be indicative of the regula-
tory and physiological potentials of each organ of the fish.
However, there were higher BCF of the heavy metals in
the gills compared to muscles and intestine. The BCF is in
the order gill > intestine > muscle. The high concentration
of the metals in the gills could be attributed to element
complexion with the mucus coverings in the gills which
cannot be completely eliminated from the gill lamellae
before analysis (Khalil and Faragallah 2008). The BCF
of Zn was the highest while the lowest was recorded for Cd
in both fish species. The BCF followed the ranking order
of gill > intestine > muscle. The rank profile of the metals
in the tissue were (Zn > Cu > Fe > Pb > Cd) in the gill and
intestine while that of the muscle was
(Fe > Pb > Zn > Cu > Cd). There was significant difference
(p < 0.05) in the BCF recorded in the various tissues of the
fishes studied. The accumulation of the heavy metals in the
fish is attributed mainly to the aluminum industry in the
area coupled with other agricultural and anthropogenic
sources that may be washed into Mbaa River. The use of
fertilizers can increase the concentration of heavy metals,
which may be transferred to food thereby promoting ad-
verse effects on aquatic organisms through runoff from
agricultural soils to water bodies (Conceição et al. 2013).
Conclusion
The results of the present study revealed that the study
area accumulated different heavy metals to appreciable
levels thereby providing valuable baseline data on the
heavy metal content in the water, sediments, and fish
from Mbaa River. It was observed that the concentrations
of some of the heavy metals recorded in the water and
fish samples are higher than the recommended standards.
Consequently, the use of the water therein or consump-
tion of fish from this source may not be without adverse
effects to users. In addition, the data could be used to
assess and monitor health risk associated with the con-
sumption of the fish and water from the river.
Acknowledgments The authors are grateful to the staff of the
Department of Physical and Chemical Oceanography, Nigerian
Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research, Victoria Island,
Lagos, Nigeria, for their technical assistance in the course of the
study.
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