Abstract
The presence of heavy metals in freshwater fish represents a global public health issue. The current study aimed to determine the heavy metal concentration and toxicity in some freshwater fish species collected from the Tigris River in Baghdad. Out of the many fish species in Iraq, the current study selected the Genus Barbus as it represents the most popular fish food in Iraq. The sample included twenty fishes and the selected sample locations covered two industrial areas in Baghdad (one north of Baghdad and one south of Baghdad). The levels of heavy metals were determined by using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). The results showed that concentrations of heavy metals in the sampled fishes exceeded the acceptable levels for food sources for human consumption. The results of this study showed high levels of cadmium and chromium levels in the tissues of the selected fish sample. Cd and Cr were among the highest concentrations and both exceeded the World Health Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations acceptable levels for heavy metals in fishes.
Highlights
The pollution of the Tigris River with chemicals or hazardous materials has long been a very serious environmental problem and a major public health issue in Iraq [1,2,3,4,5,6]
The aim of the current study was to determine the levels of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn) in the gills, livers, and muscles of Barbus sharpeyi and Barbus xanthopterus caught from the Tigris River in Baghdad
High concentrations of Cd, Cr, Pb, Zn, and Cu were detected in the gills of B. sharpeyi and B. xanthopterus in both areas
Summary
The pollution of the Tigris River with chemicals or hazardous materials has long been a very serious environmental problem and a major public health issue in Iraq [1,2,3,4,5,6]. In recent years, there has been a special increasing interest in heavy metal contamination and toxicity in aquatic biomes [7]. Rivers could be contaminated by heavy metals as a result of industrial and agricultural waste and by-products. High concentrations of these heavy metals are toxic to the water, soil, and air. Fishes in the Tigris River are an important food source for the population. The Barbus species in Iraq are among the most common fish eaten as food [8]. Fish play key roles in ecosystems because they are vertebrates, which are at the top of the food chain [9].
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