Abstract
The edible flesh of guinean tilapia (Tilapia guineensis), blackchin tilapia (Sarotherondon melanotheron) and mullet (Liza falcipinnis) were collected from Buguma River for elemental studies of cadmium, mercury, arsenic, lead, nickel and organometallic forms of elements using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and Gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS) respectively. The highest concentration of cadmium (1.7 mg/kg) was observed in Tilapia guineensis. They all contained about the same concentration of arsenic (0.5 mg/kg) and mercury (1 mg/kg). The highest concentration of lead was detected in Sarotherodon melanotheron (4.8 mg/kg) while the highest concentration of nickel (21.4 mg/kg) was detected in Tilapia guineensis. The organometallic compounds detected were diethoxydimethylsilane, dimethylisobutoxysilane, diethyl(trans-4-methylcyclohexyloxy) undecycloxysilane, diethyl(decycloxy)borane, [(3a)-pregn-5-ene-3,20-diyl]bis(oxy)bis[trimethyl]silane, dimethyl(4-methoxyphenoxy)dodecycloxysilane, Bis(diethylcarbamodithioato-S,S'-(T-4)zinc in Tilapia guineensis. Diethyldecycloxypentadecycloxysilane, diethoxydimethylsilane, diethyl(decycloxy)borane, dimethyl(2-naphthoxy)hexadecycloxysilane in Sarotherodon melanotheron and tetracarbonylnickel, carbonylborane, trimethylaluminum, dimethoxydimethylsilane, diethyl(decycloxy)borane, pthalocyaninedichloridegermanium in mullet.
Highlights
Cadmium, arsenic, lead and mercury are noted to have caused major human health problems all over the world [1]
Cadmium inhibits membrane-bound enzymes [2]. This happens because at high concentrations cadmium forms a complex with sulphydryl groups in the active sites of enzymes which interfere with the formation of enzymesubstrate complex [3]
Cleland [4] suggested that treating cadmium toxicity with dithiothreitol (DTT) is better since it serves as a chelator and restores sulphydryl groups
Summary
Arsenic, lead and mercury are noted to have caused major human health problems all over the world [1]. Mercury has the ability to form methylmercury (MeHg) through microbe bio-transformation in fishes. Methylmercury is toxic and can be accumulated in the food chain [10]. This work was carried out to evaluate these elements and the organometallic forms present in these three fish species from Buguma River, Asaritoru Local Government Area, Rivers State, Nigeria. Afterwards, equal amounts of 1.5 ml of toluene and 1.5 ml of benzene were added It was agitated for 2 hours in a mechanical shaker. In the second stage 5 ml of the sample prepared from step 1 was collected with the help of the syringe. The air in the sample from step 1 was flushed with the nitrogen in the balloon for some minutes. The organic phase (i.e. milky part) was sent for GC-MS analysis
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