In this study, copper was seasonally determined in water, sediment and guppy fish (Poecilia reticulata) from Butuanon River, which is an important water source for drinking and irrigation in Metro Cebu, using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (FAAS).Results revealed that Cu levels in water were within the acceptable standard of DENR DAO 34 (1990) while it exceeded the maximum allowable limit of 100 ppm for sediments in dry season. Only guppies in station 1 exceeded the FAO/WHO (1989) acceptable limit of 30 mg/kg. Bioaccumulation factor (BAF) of guppies in water was calculated and determined to be within the ranges 411-1675 and 557-3735 L/Kg for dry and wet seasons, respectively. Octanol-water partition coefficients values vary per station indicating that the form and levels of copper differ in all stations. Traces of thiodiazole were also detected in the hydrophobic fraction of the octanol-water emulsion.High BAF suggest that guppies have a high potential of accumulating the contaminant from water and that it can be used as a bioindicator in rivers (USEPA, 2007). The low BAF with respect to sediment implies that sediments serve as metal sequesters making it non-bioavailable. Moreover, there is an anthropogenic indication of copper introduction in all stations attributable to agricultural sources.
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