Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals in Nile Tilapia Oreochromis Niloticus, Collected from Karachi, Pakistan

This study was conducted to evaluate heavy metals in Nile tilpia, muscle sample gathered from Nile Tilapia Oreochromis niloticus collected from Fish Market, Musa Colony, Karachi, Pakistan were analyzed to determine heavy metal concentrations (Aluminum [Al], Lead [Pb], Zinc [Zn], copper [Cu], and cadmium [Cd]). All samples were divided for three groups according their sizes given as follows: Group A: 15.0-20.0 cm; Group B: 20.1-25.0 cm; Group C: 25.1-30.0 cm and were analyzed using the Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES). It was observed that the average measured level of metals in muscle (Al 9.47±0.13 μg/g, Pb 0.40±0.01 μg/g, Zn 37.64±2.35 μg/g, Cu 12.42±1.42 μg/g, Cd 0.22±0.02 μg/g), Skin (Al 8.00±0.13 μg/g, Pb 0.48±0.02 μg/g, Zn 42.66±2.52 μg/g, Cu 13.30±1.27 μg/g, Cd 0.28±0.01 μg/g), Liver (Al 11.92±1.21 μg/g, Pb 0.70±0.22 μg/g, Zn 64.00±4.31 μg/g, Cu 15.79±3.25 μg/g, Cd 0.30±0.01 μg/g) and Gills (Al 8.80±2.17 μg/g, Pb 0.70±0.11 μg/g, Zn 14.83±2.98 μg/g, Cu 10.78±1.42 μg/g, Cd 0.28±0.08 μg/g) respectively. The correlation between size groups and metal accumulation in organs were investigated for all the groups. As a result of the analysis, Al, Pb, Zn, Cu and Cd accumulations in muscle tissues of Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus collected from Musa Colony Pakistan did not exceed limit values.