Abstract
BackgroundHeavy metal accumulation in the ecosystem constitutes a potential toxic effect which is hazardous to human health. Increasing environmental pollution has necessitated the use of cattle egrets to evaluate the levels of heavy metal contamination, to establish their use in biomonitoring of heavy metals and to provide data for monitoring pollution in the environment.ResultsThe present study assessed the utilization of Bubulcus ibis in monitoring pollution in five abattoirs, namely Agege, Bariga, Kara, Itire and Idi-Araba, all situated in Lagos State. The concentration of five (5) heavy metals, cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) was determined in the liver, muscle and feather of Bubulcus ibis using the atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The trend of metal accumulation was in the order: Zn > Cu > Pb > Cd > Ni for all the sampled tissues. The mean tissue concentrations of the metals were significantly different (p < 0.05) among the sites. The highest levels of metal concentration were reported in the liver in all the locations. Mean concentration of Cd in Kara (0.003 ± 0.00058) was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than those found at Agege (0.0013 ± 0.00058) and Idi-Araba (0.001 ± 0.001). A significant difference (p < 0.05) was also observed between the mean concentrations of Cu in Bariga (0.01 ± 0.001) and Idi-Araba (0.003 ± 0.001).ConclusionAll the studied heavy metals were present in the liver, muscle and feathers of the cattle egrets. The contamination levels were ascertained from the study which indicated that cattle egrets are useful in biomonitoring studies and the generated data will serve as baseline data which could be compared with data from other locations for monitoring heavy metal pollution.
Highlights
Heavy metal accumulation in the ecosystem constitutes a potential toxic effect which is hazardous to human health
The objectives of the present study were (1) to determine the concentration of heavy metals in the liver, muscle and feather of cattle egrets; (2) to establish their use in biomonitoring of heavy metal pollution in Lagos metropolis; and (3) to provide baseline data which could be compared with data from other locations for monitoring heavy metal pollution
Heavy metal concentration of liver, muscle and feathers of Cattle egrets (Bubulcus ibis) Heavy metals were found in varying concentrations in the liver, muscle and feathers of the fifteen cattle egrets that were sampled
Summary
Heavy metal accumulation in the ecosystem constitutes a potential toxic effect which is hazardous to human health. To assess the health of an ecosystem and identify alterations in the environment that might be indicative of negating effects, a clear understanding of the corollary of the chemicals in such an environment is imperative. As a consequence of the discharge of pollutants via anthropogenic activities, large amounts of pollutants have made their way into the environment. These accumulate in ecosystems and are transmitted along the food chain through trophic relations of organisms (Burger 2002; Kim and Koo 2007). The products of anthropogenic activities which in turn pollute the environment include heavy
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