Heavy Metal Accumulation in Brain of Fishes Consequent to River Pollution
Periyar, one of the major rivers of Kerala state passes through the highly polluted industrial area, Eloor and Chitrapuzha region. Heavy metal pollution is one of the major problems of the water pollution in this region. Heavy metals are vigorous oxidizing agents and thus are highly bound to biochemical inability of tissues and thus affect fishes.
The main objective of the study was to check whether the heavy metals have targeted the most vitally protected tissue – the brain and to analyse the increasing tendency of heavy metal accumulation with age in fishes. The study area includes the highly polluted Eloor and Chitraphuzha area, nearly 11 kms away from Kochi.
The Fish, Gobius malabaricus, belonging to the family Gobidae were collected, weighed and grouped. Fishes were dissected for brain tissue, weighed, homogenized and heavy metals were detected using ICPAES (Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrophotometer). The study showed heavy metal accumulation in the order Copper ≥ Manganese ≥ Zinc (0.55 ppm). Cadmium and Chromium were found below detection limit. The greatest accumulation of heavy metals was found in the brain of older fishes. Accumulation of heavy metals even in the brain of fishes, thus, indicates the extent of heavy metal pollution in the industrial area.
APHA (1995). Standard method for the examination of water and waste water. 16th Edn. Washington, DC: American Public Health Asociation in Drinking Water. IS 10500. 2–41.
BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) (1991). Drinking water specification IS: 10500 BIS, New Delhi.
Chandra, S., Thergaonkar, V.P. and R. Sharma (1981).Water quality and dental fluorosis. Ind. J. Publ. Health, 25: 47–51.
Das, B., Talukdar, J., Sarma, S., Gohain, B., Dutta, R.K., Das, H.B. and S.C. Das ( 2003). Fluoride and other inorganic constituents in groundwater of Guwahati, Assam, India. Current Sci., 85(5): 657–661.
Devi, S., Barbuddhe, S.B., Hazel, D. and C. Dolly (2003). Physicochemical characteristics of drinking water at Velsao, Goa. J. Ecotoxicol. Environ. Monit., 13(3): 203–209.
Gaciri, S.J. and T.C. Davis (1993). The occurrence and geochemistry of fluoride in some natural waters of Kenya. J. Hydrol., 143: 395–412.
Gaumat, M.M., Rastogi, R. and M.M. Mishra (1992). Fluoride level in shallow ground-water in central part of Uttar Pradesh. Bhujal News, 17–19.
Gupta, M.K., Singh, V., Rajwanshi, P., Agarwal, M., Rai, K., Srivastava, R. and S. Dass (1999). Groundwater quality assessment of tehsil Kheragarh, Agra (India) with special reference to fluoride. Environ. Monit. Assess., 59: 275–285.
Gupta, M.K., Singh, V., Rajwanshi, P., Srivastava, R. and S. Dass (1994). Fluoride in groundwater at Agra. Ind. J. Environ. Health, 36(1): 43–46.
Kundu, N., Panigrahi, M.K., Tripathy, S., Munshi, S., Powell, M.A. and B.R. Hart (2001). Geochemical appraisal of fluoride contamination of groundwater in the Nayagarh district of Orrisa, India. Environ. Geol., 41: 451-460.
Madhavan, N. and V. Subramanian (2003). The fluoride problem in Ajmer District, Rajasthan: Recent trends in hydrogeochemistry. Edited by Ramanathan, AL. and Ramesh R. Capital Publishing Company, New Delhi, 167–172.
Rao, S.N. and J.D. Devdas (2003). Fluoride incidence in groundwater in an area of Peninsular India. Environ. Geol., 45: 243–251.
Ruikong, F.(1993). Chinese Medical Geography, Southeastern Chinese Normal University Press, Shanghai, 102–108.
Sarma, D.R.R. and S.L.N. Rao (1997). Fluoride concentration in ground water of Visakhapatnam, India. Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol., 58: 241–247.
Smedley, P.L., Nicolli, H.B., Macdonald, D.M.J., Barros, A.J. and J.O. Tullio (2002). Appl. Geochem., 17: 259–284.
Teotia, S.P.S., Teotia, M. and R.K. Singh (1981). Hydro-geochemical aspects of endemic skeletal fluorosis in India – an epidemiological study. Fluoride, 14: 69–74.
Trivedi, P. (1988). Relationship between fluoride, total alkalinity, total hardness in groundwater of Pali District in arid and semi arid region of western Rajasthan. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. India, 58: 7–11.
WHO (World Health Organization) 1997. Guideline for drinking water quality. 2nd edn. Vol. 2. Health criteria and other supporting information. Geneva: World Health Organization. 940–949.
WHO (World Health Organization) (2006). Fluoride in drinking water. IWA Publishing, London, UK. 144.