Distribution of heavy metals in plants and fish of the Yamuna river (India)

Abstract

The distribution of cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) in the plants and fish of Yamuna river from Delhi to Allahabad, a distance of about 840 km, at five sampling stations was determined in the year 1981. The results have shown wide variations in the heavy metal levels from one sampling station to the other. The concentrations of Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn in the plants (Eicchornia crassipes) were found to be 0.02-0.12, 2.7-21.3, 4.6-64.8, 9.8-114.0, 193.0-1835.0, 380.0-1443.0, 4.4-83.0, 4.8-30.2, and 22.1-356.5 μg g(-1) respectively whereas in the fish (Heteropnuestes fossilis) were found to be ND-0.40, 2.3-13.7, 3.7-26.9, 8.33-58.1, 278.3-1108.0, 81.3-213.8, 2.8-32.7, 1.4-12.8 and 101.8-364.8 μgg(-1) respectively on dry weight basis.