Translocation capacity of some heavy metals in aquatic food chain of crude oil impacted community of Imiringi in Bayelsa state, Nigeria

Abstract

The translocation capacity of metals (Cd, Cr, As, Pb, and Hg) was determined in water and fish, and in the serum and vitreous humor harvested from New Zealand White (albino) rabbits fed with the processed fish. The sample size comprised 12 male rabbits divided equally into control and experimental groups. Both groups were fed with normal rabbit meal void of detectable metals for 3 months. Only animals grouped under the experimental group were fed fish meal harvested from River Imiringi, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. The metals of interest were estimated using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. Similarly, the choice statistical tool was the student t-test analyzed on SPSS version 18–22. The findings revealed that the studied heavy metal concentrations were higher in water and fish sourced from River Imiringi when compared with the World Health Organization’s minimum permissible limits. In the same vein, concentrations of cadmium, chromium, and total arsenic were significantly higher, whereas mercury was lower in fish when compared to that in the water. In addition, vitreous cadmium and lead concentrations were higher in the experimental group when compared with the control group, whereas vitreous chromium was lower. Furthermore, serum cadmium and chromium concentration comparisons were similar to that in the vitreous. The findings are indicative of the translocation capacity of metals from water to fish and then to serum and vitreous humor of rabbits. The increase in metal concentrations and their translocation capacity are potential risks to inhabitants of Imiringi that depends heavily on the river water resources.