Heavy Metal Concentrations in Selected Fishes, and Water from Orogodo River, Agbor, Delta State in Nigeria

This study determined heavy metal:- (lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) concentrations in selected fish species including: (Brycinus intermidus, Clarias gariepinus, Parachanna obscura, Ctenopoma kingsleyae, Hemichromis bimaculatus and Phractolaemus ansorgeii) and water from Orogodo River situated in Agbor, Delta State, Nigeria. Furthermore, the health risk exposure to humans who consume the fish and utilized the water in Orogodo River was assessed. The mean (±SD) concentration of the heavy metal in water ranged from 0±0 mg/l for Cd to 0.35±0.29 mg/l for Fe. The mean (±SD) concentration of metals in fish species ranged from 0.06±0.02 mg/kg for Cd in Brycinus intermidus to 187.90±89.59 mg/kg for Fe in Parachanna obscura. The Bioaccumulation Quotient (BQ) values ranged from 4.51 mg/kg for Pb in Hemichromis bimaculatus to 1297.13 mg/kg for Fe in Phractolemus ansorgei. These results imply that continuous intake of fish and water obtained from this river would have cumulative deleterious effect on aquatic organisms and man.