Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals in Some Tissues of Fish, Clarias batrachus Exposed to Sub-lethal Concentration of Nickel Sulphate and Potassium Dichromate

Abstract

Heavy metal pollution is a global problem growing at an alarming rate and aquatic organisms are continuously exposed to elevated levels of metals seriously threatening the whole ecosystem. The objective of the present study is to determine the bioaccumulation of heavy metals in some organs of the freshwater fish, Clarias batrachus exposed to heavy metal, nickel and chromium contaminated water. The experimental fish was exposed to Cr and Ni at sublethal concentrations for periods of 30 days. The result revealed that the concentration of both heavy metals was significantly high in the gill, kidney and liver of metal exposed fish in comparison to the tissues of respective organs of control fish. The order accumulation of heavy metal, nickel in the tissues was liver>kidney>gills whereas chromium also accumulate in the order liver> Kidney> gill.