Correlations between Geo-Chemical Speciation of Heavy Metals (Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd and Ni) in Surface Sediments and Their Concentrations in Giant Mudskipper (&amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Periophthalmodon schlosseri&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;) Collected from the West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia

Tijjani Rufa’I Buhari,Ahmad Ismail

doi:10.4236/gep.2016.41003

Abstract

Surface sediments and giant mudskipper (Periophthalmodon schlosseri) were collected in August and September 2008 and in March and June 2010 from six sampling sites in the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia to assess heavy metals accumulation in the giant mudskipper. Sequential extraction technique was used to fractionate the sediments into four different geo-chemical fractions; easily, freely or leachable and exchangeable (EFLE), acid reducible, oxidizable organic and resistant fractions. Heavy metals concentrations (Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd and Ni) in the surface sediments and giant mudskipper were determined by using air acetylene flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) Perkin Elmer Analyst 800. The results of Pearson’s correlation analyses showed that metal concentrations in the tissues of P. schlosseri were significantly correlated (p p P. schlosseri and Cu in the sediment (oxidisable-organic, resistant and total Cu), Zn in P. schlosseri and Zn in the sediment (EFLE and total Zn), Pb in P. schlosseri and Pb in the sediment (with all the four fractions of Pb), Cd and Ni in P. schlosseri and Cd and Ni in the sediment (with all fractions of Cd and Ni except acid-reducible Cd and Ni) which might suggest the use of P. schlosseri as a biomonitoring agent for heavy metals pollution in the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

Highlights

Rapid socio-economic growth and industrialization in the coastal area has led to the discharged of heavy metals into aquatic environments and their accumulation in sediments and living organisms to a toxic level
Many biomonitoring agents for heavy metals were proposed in the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia but the use of mudskippers in the biomonitoring of Malaysian coastal environments had not received much attention like other biota
The objectives of the present study was to assess the bioaccumulation of Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd and Ni in giant mudskipper P. schlosseri and their correlations with different geochemical fractions of sediments

Summary

Introduction

Rapid socio-economic growth and industrialization in the coastal area has led to the discharged of heavy metals into aquatic environments and their accumulation in sediments and living organisms to a toxic level. It had been found that the speciation of a metal, rather than its total concentration, is the key to understand its effect on the biota [7] (Allen and Hansen, 1996), as well as its biogeochemical transformation and ultimate fate [8] (Billon et al, 2002). Increased discharge of both essential and non-essential metals into natural aquatic ecosystems could expose aquatic organisms to unnaturally high levels of these metals [9] (Van Dyk et al, 2007), thereby causing adverse effects on aquatic ecosystem. The objectives of the present study was to assess the bioaccumulation of Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd and Ni in giant mudskipper P. schlosseri and their correlations with different geochemical fractions of sediments

Objectives

Methods

Conclusion