HEAVY METALS POISONING IN SOME LOCAL FISH

Abstract

Libya has a long coast which is more than 1970 km that is rich with different types of fishes. Fishes have a high nutritional value and people depend on them to cover their nutritional needs like proteins, minerals and vitamins. In the last years, many human activities such as nuclear and industrial wastes dropped in seas and oceans have caused high pollution with heavy metals. These pollutions are transmitted to consumers directly causing different dangerous diseases like cancers and metallic poisoning. To study this pollution, different types of fish samples have been collected randomly from local fish market in Misurata city, wet digested, and the heavy metals were determined with atomic absorption spectrometer. The results were compared with standards of WHO & FAO. The average concentrations of heavy metals (Hg, Cd, Pb, Cu ,Cr , Ni , Zn , Mn, and Fe, respectively) for different types of fish were as follows: Sardine fish (Sardinellamaderensis): 0.005, 1.58, 0.25, 0.20, 0.25, 0.56, 0.37, 0.26, 0.99 (mg/kg), Sea dog fish (Galiorhinnsgaleus): 0.007, 1.97, 0.16, 0.19, 0.35, 0.56, 0.37, 0.26, 0.59 (mg/kg), Farroj fish (Epinelusmrgintus): 0.004, 2.16, 0.58, 0.71, 0.46, 0.65, 0.85, 0.27, 0.77 (mg/kg), Trillia fish (Mulhusbarbahus): 0.003, 1.65, 0.41, 0.29, 0.55, 0.45, 0.75, 0.46, 0.67 (mg/kg), Kawally fish (Scomber japonicas): 0.002, 0.77, 0.65, 0.19, 0.77, 0.45, 0.96, 0.45, 0.69 (mg/kg), and Rzam fish (Auxisrochei): 0.00, 0.00, 0.15, 0.49, 0.38, 0.29, 0.37, 0.48, 0.41(mg/kg). This kind of works can help to assist local and state health services in their deliberations concerning such contaminants in local fish.