Research Report

Bioaccumulation of Persistent Environmental Pollutants (PEPs) in the Mud Catfishes (Clarias gariepinus and Heterobranchus longifilis) from the Ogu Creek, Rivers State, Nigeria  

Dike Henry Ogbuagu1 , Marcus Osezojie Idewele2 , Kingsley Prince Nzekwue2
1 Department of Biology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria
2 Department of Environmental Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria
Author    Correspondence author
International Journal of Marine Science, 2019, Vol. 9, No. 7   doi: 10.5376/ijms.2019.09.0007
Received: 05 Jul., 2019    Accepted: 13 Oct., 2019    Published: 02 Dec., 2019
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This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Preferred citation for this article:

Ogbuagu D.H., Idewele M.O., and Nzekwue K.P., 2019, Bioaccumulation of Persistent Environmental Pollutants (PEPs) in the mud catfishes (Clarias gariepinus and Heterobranchus longifilis) from the Ogu Creek, Rivers State, Nigeria, International Journal of Marine Science, 9(7): 54-65 (doi: 10.5376/ijms.2019.09.0007)

Abstract

The long-term discharge of poorly treated petroleum refinery effluent into the Ekerekana Creek, proximal to the Ogu Creek in Ogu, Rivers State, Nigeria, as well as contributions from artisanal refining have created worries about safety to health of consumers of the catfish delicacies, Clarias gariepinus and Heterobranchus longifilis from this coastal water. This research investigated the presence and levels of trace elements (Zn, Cr, Cd, Pb, Mg, Ca, K, Na, Fe and Mn) and hydrocarbons (Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon-TPHs, Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene and Xylenes-BTEX, and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons-PAHs) and Phenol in tissues of the fishes. In C. gariepinus, mean maximum accumulations in mg/kg were as follows: Mg 15.01±2.38 (muscle), Zn 10.25±2.62 (muscle), Fe 9.51±0.53 (gills), K 7.01±0.88 (muscle), Ca 0.42±0.05 (muscle), Pb 0.06±0.01 (muscle), Mn 1.58±0.45 (liver), TPH 6.65±0.42 (muscle), PAHs 0.24±0.05 (muscle), BTEX 0.07±0.01 (muscle) and Phenol 0.007±0.001 (muscle). In H. longifilis, accumulations in mg/kg were as follows: Mg 17.21±1.84 (muscle), Zn 11.27±2.49 (muscle), Fe 11.39±1.64 (gills), K 7.66±1.24 mg/g (muscle), Cd 0.47±0.043 mg/g (muscle), Pb 0.056±0.006 mg/g (muscle) and Mn 1.16±0.268 (liver), TPH 8.69±0.60 (muscle), PAHs 0.49±0.085 (muscle), BTEX 0.09±0.005 (muscle) and Phenol 0.0016±0.0003 (muscle). The accumulations of Cd, Pb, Mg, Ca, K, Na, Fe and Mn in C. gariepinus (Sig. values=0.001, 0.002, 0.011, 0.003, 0.004, 0.008, 0.000, 0.025 respectively) and those of Zn, Cd, Pb, Mg, Ca, K, Na, Fe and Mn (Sig. values=0.024, 0.000, 0.002, 0.002, 0.002, 0.008, 0.024, 0.005, 0.012 respectively) in H. longifilis differed significantly between tissues from impacted and reference locations at p<0.05. TQ/HQ values of, especially Cd and Zn were high (6.80-11.00 and 1.38-3.24 respectively) and exceeded regulatory limits in both fish species.

 

Keywords
Persistent environmental pollutants; Bioaccumulation; Ogu Creek; Catfish; Hydrocarbons; Trace elements
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