Assessment of Heavy Metals on African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus) from Some Fish Ponds in Emene, Enugu State, South-East Nigeria

The research was conducted to determine the presence and bioaccumulation pattern of some heavy metals in African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) from three fish ponds in Emene, Enugu State, South-East Nigeria. Fish samples used for the analysis were collected during the dry season from Tollex, Sopulu and Nduka pond farms. The analysis of heavy metals: lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and iron (Fe), in C. gariepinus gills and muscles was carried out using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) after digestion with concentrated HCl. Results of the analysis show that the investigated heavy metal in the fish samples from the ponds on the basis of their average concentration followed the order: Sopulu pond > Nduka pond > Tollex pond with highest concentration (7.427 ppm of Fe) found in the gill of fish from Sopulu fish pond and lowest concentration (0.013 ppm of Cd) in the muscle of fish from Tollex fish farm. The study has shown that there was a considerable amount of heavy metals in the muscle and gills of catfish from Tollex, Nduka and Sopulu fish farms.