1. Accumulation of Heavy Metals in
Fishes of Freshwater Lakes of India
Harsimran Kaur Brar
M.Sc. (F) Zoology
Department of Zoology
University of Delhi
May, 2016

2. Introduction
• Freshwater ecosystems are a subset of Earth's aquatic ecosystems. These aquatic
systems consist of streams, lakes, springs, rivers, ponds and wetlands. Natural water
systems provide flood plains, fisheries, agriculture, natural services and products like
biodiversity and water quality improvement.
• A lake is a body of water, generally freshwater which is surrounded by land on all four
sides and has no direct contact with sea. These have become sites for idol immersion and
for discharge of large quantities of sewage and industrial wastewater. It is causing
pollution of heavy metal in aquatic systems resulting in worsening of water quality and
diminution of aquatic biota.

3. Introduction
• The metal having fairly high density and toxicity at low quantity is called as ‘heavy metal’, e.g.,
arsenic, lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium and some ‘trace elements’ like copper, selenium and
zinc. They play an important role in maintaining the body metabolism. But if present in quantity
more than required by the body, heavy metals can prove to be damaging. Heavy metals are
conserved pollutants. They have the tendency to incorporate into food chains and they also
concentrate in aquatic organisms to a level that causes severe damage to their physiological state.
• Urbanization and industrialization have increased dumping of heavy metals into the
environment. Heavy metals are also mixed into the aquatic system by means of effluents,
smelting process, leaching of garbage and sewage.
• As fish is in direct contact with water, they are therefore used as biomonitors to assess the
bioaccumulation and biomagnification of contaminants within the water system and tell us the
health of other aquatic animals. Fish is a staple diet of many communities in India, therefore it is
the right of those people to know what they are eating and whether the fish harvested from
various lakes are fit for them to eat.

4. Heavy Metals and Their Effects
Heavy
Metal
Effect in fishes Effect in humans References
Cadmium
(Cd)
Myocardial diseases have been
observed
Lung cancer, obstructive
pulmonary disease,
osteomalacia and
osteoporosis
Pandey et al.,
2014
Zinc (Zn) Affects tissue respiration in some
fishes; hypoxia; accrues structural
damage affecting the growth,
development and survival of fish;
affects hatchability
Relatively harmless;
long-term and high-dose
interferes with the
copper uptake
Kori-Siakpere et
al., 2008
Lead (Pb) Genotoxic; cytotoxic damage in
gill and fin epithelial cells in
some fishes; in other fishes, it
delays embryonic development,
inhibits growth, suppresses
reproduction, causes kidney
dysfunction; inhibits hatching of
eggs, hypertrophy of gills
Effects depend on dose
and age; high level
causes problems in the
synthesis of hemoglobin
(Hb) and causes chronic
damage to nervous
system
Ibemenuga, 2013;
Pandey et al.,
2014

5. Heavy Metals and Their Effects
Heavy
metal
Effect in fish Effect in humans References
Arsenic
(As)
Death because of
suffocation; suppression of
antibody levels; changes in
functioning of T cells and B
cells and making them
inclined to infections
Stomach, lung and
intestine irritation,
decreased production of
erythrocytes and white
blood cells and skin
disturbances; cause
infertility; death
Ghosh et al., 2006;
Liao et al., 2014;
Pandey et al., 2014
Chromium
(Cr)
Hinder the behavior and
growth of fish; spoiling of
the respiratory epithelium
of gills and death
Can irritate skin and can
produce ulcer; cause liver,
kidney, circulatory and
nerve tissue damage
Vinodhini et al.,
2008;
Benoit, 1976; Pandey
et al., 2014
Copper
(Cu)
Vacuolization of
endothelial cells and
hepatocytes; shrinkage and
necrosis in liver; decreased
egg production; spawning
blockage; decreased
survival of young; low
fertility
At higher doses, it causes
damage to liver and
kidney, anemia, and
intestinal and stomach
irritation; Wilson’s disease
Arellano et al., 1999;
Figueiredo-
Fernandes et al.,
2007;
Sorensen, 1991;
Pandey et al., 2014

6. Heavy Metals and Their Effects
Heavy metal Effects on fish Effects on humans References
Iron (Fe) Disruption in respiration;
reduction in the area of
gill accessible for
respiration, damaging the
respiratory epithelium
and death due to
suffocation
Dalzell et al., 1999;
Mercury (Hg)
and
Methylmercury
(MeHg)
Liver, gill arches, blood
parameters, kidney,
nervous system and
olfactory epithelium
damage, reduces sperm
viability, production of
eggs and their survival
rate
Gingivitis, congenital
malformations and
spontaneous abortion;
damage to CNS and
brain; abortion.
Baatrup,1991; Oliveira
Ribeiro et al., 1985;
Oliveira Ribeiro et al.,
2006;
Raldúa et al., 2007;
Pandey et al., 2014
Nickel (Ni) Cause respiratory
problems
Palaniappan et al., 2004

7. Maximum Permissible Limit (MPL) in ppm
(parts per million) of Heavy Metals in Fish
According to International Standards
Heavy Metals
Maximum permissible
limit
References
Cadmium 0.05 FAO, 1983
Zinc 30 FAO, 1983
Copper 30 FAO, 1983
Chromium 1 FAO, 1983
Iron 100 WHO, 1989
Mercury 0.5 WHO, 1989
Nickel 0.05-5.5 FAO, 1983
Lead 0.5 FAO, 1983
Arsenic 1.4 WHO, 1989

8. Fish Species Heavy
Metal
Liver Kidney Gill Muscle
Labeo rohita Lead 1.483±0.206 0.553± .032 0. 300±0.010 0.223± 0.152
Cadmium 0.616±0.249 0.250± 0.046 0.383±0.153 0.316 ±0.006
Zinc 1.036±0.004 0.943±0 .031 0.19 ±0.0173 0.380±0.020
Copper 1.056±0.124 0.233± 0.042 0.090± 0.000 0.090± 0.000
Chromium 0.696±0.349 0.716±O.035 0.196 ±0.015 0.023 ±0.012
Mercury 0.270±0.552 0.070± 0.001 0.047 ±0.001 0.036 ±0.015
Channa
striatus
Lead
1.353±0.070 1.333± 0.704 1.30 ± 0.529 1.30 ± 0.010
Cadmium 0.480±0.314 0.16 ± 0.040 0.316 ±0.125 0.456 ±0.109
Zinc 1.013±0.050 1.213± 0.208 1.140 ±0.295 0456 ± 0.109
Copper 0.993±0.600 1.03 ± 0.646 0.028 ± .002 0.530± 0.305
Chromium 0.326±0.050 0.470± 0.160 0.596± 0.205 0.85 ± 0.535
Mercury 0.203±0.125 0.256± 0.060 0.123± 0.086 0.140± 0.135
Adapted from: Mastan, (2014)
Table 1: Concentration (μg/g of d.w.) of heavy metals in different tissues of Labeo
rohita and Channa striatus (n=3 for each fish species) taken from Kolleru Lake,
Andhra Pradesh

9. Conclusions
• In Kolleru Lake, heavy metal concentration was observed in Labeo rohita and Channa
striatus. Zinc, copper, chromium and mercury were observed to be below set limits by
FAO, 1983 and WHO 1989 in different organs of both the species. Cadmium, on the
other hand was observed to be above the permitted levels. Lead was seen to be below in
all organs except liver in Labeo rohita; whereas it was above the threshold limit in all
organs of Channa striatus.

10. Table 2: Heavy metal concentration (ug/g ± S.E.M.) in the liver of
Schizothorax niger (n=25) in different seasons in Dal Lake of Kashmir
Valley, India.
Heavy metal Year Seasons
Spring Summer Autumn Winter
Copper I 70.01± 2.12 76.52± 2.81 68.52± 2.12 66.77± 3.12
II 74.54± 3.24 81.68± 3.51 72.82± 3.24 70.54± 3.12
Zinc I 74.52± 2.24 90.61±3.92 75.12 ±4.77 73.81± 2.52
II 81.06± 3.44 97.84± 4.62 82.52± 3.99 80.88± 4.15
Iron I 227.91±6.52 284.31±4.29 228.36±6.55 204.92±5.21
II 241.20±6.96 296.51±4.37 242.54±4.85 234.56±5.95
Modified from: Yousuf et al., (2013)

11. Conclusions
• In Dal Lake, the copper, iron and zinc were observed to be above the limits set by
FAO,1983 in Schizothorax niger in all four seasons- spring, summer, autumn and winter-
observed for two years consecutively.

12. Table 3: Concentration of mercury and methyl mercury in fish samples
taken from Kodaikkanal Lake, India
Fish species Methyl mercury Mercury
Carp 0.154 0.140±0.019
Cat fish 0.108 0.078±0.010
Modified from: Karunasagar et al., (2006)
Conclusions
In Kodaikkanal lake, about 50 of 58% of the HgT was in methylated form.
These total mercury concentrations obtained are well below the maximum limit of 0.5 ppm
recommended for consumption by WHO, 1989.

13. References
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Fernandes. 2007. Histopathological changes in liver and gill epithelium of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, exposed to waterborne copper.
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14. Thank You