Concentration of Zn, Cu and Pb in Some Selected Marine Fishes of the Pahang Coastal Waters, Malaysia

Abstract

Problem statement: Heavy metals constitute one of the most hazardous substances that could be accumulated in biota. Fish populations exploited by man often live in coastal area environments that contain high levels of heavy metals, coming from human activities such as industrial and agricultural wastes. A problem to deal when using fishes as biomonitors of heavy metals is the relationship existing between metal concentration and several intrinsic factors of the fish such as organism size, genetic composition and age of fish. The estimated values of all metals in muscles of fish in this study were below the established values. Therefore, it can be concluded that the fish from Pahang coastal water are comparatively clean and do not constitute a risk for human health.

Assessment of Heavy Metal in Self-caught Saltwater Fish from Port Dickson Coastal Water, Malaysia

“…The level of Cu was highest in Sardinella spp (1985). Cu levels in most of the fish species assessed are consistent with the study conducted in coastal water of Pahang reported with mean Cu concentration of 2.88 mg/kg (Kamaruzzaman et al 2010). The present study also found that Cu levels in local marine fish from Port Dickson have increased compared with Agusa et al (2005) which reported mean Cu level of 1.96 mg/kg.…”

“…Cu levels in all the fish samples did not exceed regulatory limit stated of the Malaysian Food Regulations (1985). Cu level in most of the fish species analyzed is consistent with the study conducted in coastal water of Pahang by Kamaruzzaman et al (2010) with mean Cu concentration of 2.88 mg/kg. The present study has showed that Cu in local marine fish from Port Dickson has increased compared with findings by Agusa et al (2005) which reported mean Cu level of 1.96 mg/kg.…”

“…Coastal water of Port Dickson located on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia is a potential fish breeding ground. To date, varied levels of heavy metal in fish samples in Malaysia were reported from various collection sites (Fathi et al 2012;Hajeb et al 2009;Irwandi & Farida 2009;Kamaruzzaman et al 2010). However, there is a scarcity of reports on this similar study in literature for local marine fish.…”

“…Besides, concentration of heavy metal in local marine fish is dependent on size, weight and age of the marine organisms. Several studies conducted on fish from local coastal water found positive correlations between level of heavy metal in fish and the weight and fork length of fish (Fathi et al 2012;Kamaruzzaman et al 2010Kamaruzzaman et al , 2008. Other factors that can affect the level of heavy metal in fish are sex of fish, sex biological cycle, behaviour and feeding habits, nutrient availability and habitats (Maimon et al 2012).…”

Bioaccumulation of nine heavy metals in some tissues of Anodontostoma chacunda (Hamilton, 1822) in the Arabian Sea coasts of Pakistan

“…The differences found in some heavy metal levels in different tissues between seasons may be due to heavy rainfall during monsoon which raise the metal contamination of water by washing down the agricultural waste (Kamaruzzaman et al, 2010). Seasonal changes subsistent circumstances like growth cycle and reproductive cycle and from changes in sea water temperature (Kamaruzzaman et al, 2010), this affects metal accumulation in fish. This is in agreement with many previous studies from Pakistan coasts of the Arabian Sea by Yousuf et al (2013), Ahmed et al (2014, Ahmed & Bat (2015a, b, c).…”