LAB REPORT EKT12403 ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY

SEM SEPT 2022/2023

EXPERIMENT NUMBER EXPERIMENT 3 (LAB 4)

EXPERIMENT TITLE METAL ASSESSMENT IN ENVIRONMENT

PROGRAM SES - SARJANA MUDA SAINS GUNAAN (SAINS KELESTARIAN

ALAM SEKITAR)

DATE OF EXPERIMENT 28 DECEMBER 2022

GROUP NUMBER GROUP 4

SECTION SES 1B

GROUP MEMBER ID & 1 E22A0282 AHMAD MUSTAQIM BIN MOHD YUSRA

NAME 2 E22A0386 ROWEN MORIJOHN
3 E22B0029 NUR JASMIRA BINTI JAMIL
4 E22A0233 NUREISYA SHUHADA BINTI RAZMAN
5 E22A0209 NUR AYUNI HUSNA BINTI HALIJAN
6 E22A0187 ZAIDATULNISA BINTI ANDULLAH JOE
ANGNGONG
7 E22G0036 NURULSYAFIQAH BINTI HANAFIAH
8 E22A0268 NATALIE EVELINE GRACE MATEUS
PERSON IN CHARGE LECTURE
DR. NOR SHAHIRUL UMIRAH IDRIS

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TABLE OF CONTENT

1.0 INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………..3
1.1 OBJECTIVE………………………………………………………….4
1.2 APPARATUS AND MATERIALS……..……………………………5

2.0 PROCEDURES…………………………………………………………….6

3.0 RESULTS……………………………………………………………….…7-10

4.0 DISCUSSION……………………………………………………………..11-12

5.0 CONCLUSION……………………………………………………………13

6.0 REFERENCES………………………………………………………………14

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METAL ASSESSMENT IN ENVIRONMENT
1.0 INTRODUCTION

There are various tools for describing the quality of this environment such as
biomonitoring which uses various aquatic biota such as plants, benthic communities of
invertebrates and fish. However, determination of ecological response through water quality
of the water column may not be an adequate substitute, thus by using fish in environmental,
monitoring, levels of contaminants in the fish species can be regarded as representatives of
the study area. The process of exposure assessment combines the patterns of human
consumption of contaminated food and the occurrence of contaminants concentration in the
food categories using validated analytical techniques.

Heavy metals, including both essential and non-essential elements have a particular
significance in ecotoxicology because of their toxicity, long persistence, bioaccumulation and
bio-magnification in the food chain. The degree of contamination depends on the pollutant
type, fish species, sampling location, trophic level and their mode feeding. Most heavy metal
cause environmental and atmospheric pollution, and may be lethal to humans. Heavy metals
can become strongly toxic by mixing with different environmental elements, such as water,
soil, air, humans and other living organisms can be exposed to them thought the food chain.
Monitoring heavy metal contamination in river systems by using fish tissues helps to assess
the quality of aquatic ecosystems. Heavy metals enter fish through five main routes (food or
non-food particles, gills, water and skin), follow into the blood and are carried to either a
storage point or to the liver for its transformation or storage. The liver is the main site of
accumulation, biotransformation and excretion of pollutants in fish. Species in relatively low
trophic levels are exposed to comparatively lower contamination. On the other hand, fish in
upper food web position are prone to accumulate metals.

The aim of this study is to determine the heavy metal accumulation in water, sediment, and in
the liver of freshwater fish species occupying different feeding habits in sampling to test the
hypothesis that fish in the upper web food position are prone to accumulate more metals and
that the proximity of the polluted site is more likely to have contaminated fish. Furthermore,
it was also verified as to whether these species could be used as environmental indicators of
large-scale aquatic ecosystem quality.

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1.1 OBJECTIVE
1.1.1 To test the hypothesis that fish in the upper web food position are prone to
accumulate more metals and that the proximity of the polluted site is more likely to
have contaminated fish.
1.1.2 Describing the quality of this environment such as biomonitoring which uses
various aquatic biota such as plants, benthic communities of invertebrates and fish.

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1.2 APPARATUS AND MATERIAL

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2.0 PROCEDURE

a. Digestion of fish (acid digestion method)

1. 5g of the sample, dry weight, should be placed in a beaker.

2. 5 mL of HNO3 and 5 mL of H2SO4 should be added to the sample.
3. Let the reaction run its course, and when it starts to slow down, put the beaker on a hot
plate and heat it at a low temperature (60 °C) for 30 minutes.
4. A magnetic stirrer should be placed in the beaker and a watch glass should be placed at the
beaker's mouth.
5. Take the beaker off the hot plate, let it cool, then add 10 mL of HNO3. Put the beaker back
on the hot plate and gradually heat it to 120 °C.
6. When the samples turn black, raise the temperature to 150 °C and remove the beaker.
7. Add 1 mL of H2O2 after allowing to cool. There could be a strong response.
8. Put the tubes back on the hot plate.
9. Continue adding H2O2 until the samples are clear.

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2.0 RESULTS

Heavy Metal Mean Mean EDI THQ

concentration concentration
(mg/l) (mg/kg)

Cd 0.147 1.47 0.1142 11.4155

Mn 0.150 1.50 0.1165 8.3203

Ni 0.087 0.87 0.0676 11.6484

Pb 1.734 17.34 1.3466 336.6398

Metal (mg/kg) = Conc. Of metal (mg/L) × volume of sample (L) ÷ sample weight (kg)

Volume of sample = 50ml

Sample weight = 5g

0.05 L
Metal Cadmium (mg/kg) = 0.147 ×
0.005 Kg

= 1.47

0.05 L
Metal Manganese (mg/kg) = 0.150 ×
0.005 Kg

= 1.50

0.05 L
Metal Nickel (mg/kg) = 0.087 ×
0.005 Kg

= 0.87

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 0.05 L
Metal Lead (mg/kg) = 1.734 ×
0.005 Kg

= 17.34

(C × FIR× ED × EF)
EDI : ×10−3
WAB ×TA

(1.47 ×71 ×70 ×365) −3

EDI of Cadmium (Cd) : × 10
64 × 365

= 0.1142

(1.50 ×71 ×70 ×365)

EDI of Manganese (Mn) : × 10−3
64 × 365

= 0. 1165

(0.87 × 71×70 × 365) −3

EDI of Nickel (Ni) : × 10
64 × 365

= 0.0676

(17.34 × 71×70 × 365)

EDI of Lead (Pb) : × 10−3
64 × 365

= 1.3466

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 ( EF × ED × FIR ×C )
THQ : ×10−3
( RID ×WAB ×TA )

THQ of Cadmium (Cd) : ¿ ¿

= 114.1547

(365 ×70 ×71 ×1.50)

THQ of Manganese (Mn) : × 10−3
( 0.14 ×64 × 365 )

= 0.8320

(365 ×70 ×71 ×0.87)

THQ of Nickel (Ni) : × 10−3
( 1 ×10 ×64 × 365 )
−2

= 6.7561

(365 ×70 ×71 ×17.34) −3

THQ of Lead Pb : × 10
( 4 ×10 × 64 ×365 )
−3

= 336.6398

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4.0 DISCUSSION

Concentration of heavy metal, Cd, Mn,Ni, and Pb in muscle tissue of cultivated fish species.
Heavy metal contents in fish samples were found 0.147 ± 0.01 mg/L for Cd, 0.150
± 0.048 mg/L for Mn, 0.087± 0.016 mg/ L for Ni, 1.734 ± 0.01 mg/L for Pb. The data given
was in mg/L unit thus was converted into mg/kg. The concentration of heavy metals by AAS
shows results in mg/L need to be converted to concentrations in mg/kg for comparison with
the established heavy metal standard limits. The heavy metal mg/ kg for Cd is 1.45 mg/kg,
Mn 1.48 mg/kg, Ni 0.87 mg/kg and Pb is 17.15 mg/kg. According to these data, the ranking
order of mean concentration of the heavy metals in fish muscles were Pb (17.15 mg/kg)>Mn
(1.48 mg/kg)>Ni(0.87 mg/kg) and Cd (1.45 mg/kg)
The Estimated daily intake (EDI) of heavy metal through the consumption of fish species is
0.1142 for Cd, 0.1165 Mn, 0.0676 Ni, and 1.3466 Pb. The result revealed that Ni contributed
the lowest daily intake and Pb the highest daily intake. The EDI was calculated by
considering that a 64 kg person consumes 71 g fish for one person and per day. The results
of EDI revaled that EDI values for the examined fish samples were below the recommended
values ie Cd (0.06),Mn(),Ni (1.0),Pb (0.21) indicated no risk to people health associated with
the intake studied heavy metals through the consumption of the selected fish samples,

5.0 CONCLUSION

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6.0 REFERENCES

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