Abstract
This research work was carried out to determine the effects of water contamination on the fatty acid (FA) profile of periphyton, zoobenthos, two Chinese carps and a common carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, Ctenopharygodon idella and Cyprinus carpio), captured from highly polluted (HP), less polluted (LP), and non-polluted (NP) sites of the Indus river. We found that the concentration of heavy metals in the river water from the polluted locations exceeded the permissible limits suggested by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Fatty acid profiles in periphyton, zoobenthos, H. molitrix, C. idella, and C. carpio in the food web of river ecosystems with different pollution levels were assessed. Lauric acid and arachidic acids were not detected in the biomass of periphyton and zoobenthos from HP and LP sites compared to NP sites. Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosadienoic acid and docosapentaenoic acid were not recorded in the biomass samples of periphyton and zoobenthos in both HP and LP sites. Caprylic acid, lauric acid, and arachidic acid were not found in H. molitrix, C. idella, and C. carpio captured from HP. In this study, 6 and 9 omega series FAs were identified in the muscle samples of H. molitrix, C. idella and C. carpio captured from HP and LP sites compared to NP sites, respectively. Less polyunsaturated fatty acids were observed in the muscle samples of H. molitrix, C. idella, and C. carpio collected from HP than from LP. The heavy metals showed significant negative correlations with the total FAs in periphyton, zoobenthos, and fish samples.
Highlights
The aquatic fauna and flora of river ecosystems comprise a complex assemblage of different communities and are biologically important because of the interlinking between different trophic levels.These aquatic food chains are very feeble and sensitive to contaminants, especially to the toxicity of exogenous chemicals and heavy metals that are discharged into freshwater reservoirs due to various human activities
The concentration of phenols and sulfates were highest at the highly polluted (HP) site, closely followed by the less polluted (LP) site
The percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) in H. molitrix, C. idella, and C. carpio captured from HP was 32.32
Summary
The aquatic fauna and flora of river ecosystems comprise a complex assemblage of different communities and are biologically important because of the interlinking between different trophic levels. These aquatic food chains are very feeble and sensitive to contaminants, especially to the toxicity of exogenous chemicals and heavy metals that are discharged into freshwater reservoirs due to various human activities. The toxic response in freshwater fish species to contaminated environments has been reported on a global scale [3,4]. The concentration of heavy metals in fish normally indicates levels present in sediment and water that is in freshwater reservoirs
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