Bioaccumulation of trace elements in fin and shell fishes of Uppanar and Vellar Estuaries at Southeast coast of India

Abstract

The study was performed to investigate the concentration of cadmium, cobalt, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, nickel, lead, zinc, aluminium, chromium and boron in muscle, gill and liver of fin and shell fishes collected from two estuaries (Uppanar and Vellar) of Southeast coast of India. Tissue samples of fin and shell fishes have different level of accumulation viz, Cd = 0.10-0.72, Co = 0-0.18, Cu = 0.05-0.62, Fe = 1.42-9.85, Mg = 9.74-31.55, Mn = 0.09-11.12, Ni = 0.02-0.30, Pb = 0.14-0.50, Zn = 0.31-2.31, Al = 1.26-3.95, Cr = 0.25-2.91 and B = 0.17-0.51 µg g -1 dry wt respectively. Concentration of toxic metals such as Cd, Mn, Pb and Cr were above the permissible limits, in Uppanar estuary, proposed by the World Health Organization.