MERCURY CONCENTRATION IN SOME SPECIES OF FRESH WATER FISH OF BANGLADESH

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Mercury concentration in some species of fresh water fish of Bangladesh has been determined by neutron activation

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• Sciences et techniques

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• Publié par: malamgir46
• Nombre de lectures: 216
• Langue: Français

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Journal of National Oceanographic, Atmospheric and Marine Institute

©

NOAMI

Vol.24, No.2, 2007

ISSN: 1027-2119

MERCURY CONCENTRATION IN SOME SPECIES OF FRESH WATER FISH OF

BANGLADESH

A.K.M.Sharif

Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh

M.Alamgir, Stanly A.Bajue and Rashed Alam

Department of Physical, Environmental and Computer Sciences

Medgar Evers College, CUNY, NY, U.S.A.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Abstract

: Mercury concentrations in edible portion of some popular fresh water

fish species, namely,

Tenualosa Ilisha

,

Pangasius pangasius, Septinna phasa, Neopropius atherinoides,Otolithoides pama ,

Puntius sarana

,

Ompok pabda, Sperata aor, Clarias batrachus, Heteropneustes fossil ,Labeo rohita,

and

Catla catla

were determined by radiochemical neutron activation analysis (RNAA). The results were

found to vary from 0.243 to 0.675 μg g

-1

on dry weight, where four species had mercury concentration,

0.243 -0.299 μg g

-1

, six, 0.303-0.384 μg g

-1

and the rest two, 0.536-0.675 μg g

-1

. The results were found

to agree well with other published data on river and marine fishes and within permissible levels accepted

internationally.

Key words

: Mercury, Fish, Radiochemical neutron activation analysis, Bangladesh.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

INTRODUCATION

Mercury is one of the most toxic elements to man and other animals. In the last two decades,

measurement and evaluation of mercury in environment has received much attention. The presence of

high concentration of mercury in river and marine organisms is well–documented (Lee and Hultberg,

1990: Bjorklund

et al

., 1981: Akielazek and Haines, 1981 and Bacci, 1989). Investigatiions of heavy

metals in aquatic ecosystems have been well documented in Europe, Australia and North America, but

few studies are available about the levels of contamination, particularly that of Hg in the fishes from

rivers, and of the Bay of Bengal. Sharif

et al

., (1991, 1993a, 1993b) reported level of few metals

including Hg in some rivers and marine fishes of the Bay of Bengal.

In the rivers and sea, mercury comes mainly from weathering, sewage disposal and industrial wastes.

From discharges of Chloro-alkali industries of Chittagong and Sylhet, through the rivers,the Karnaphuli