Concentration of Trace Metals and Biochemical Alterations in Various Species of Fishes along the West Coast of India

Abstract

This study seeks to evaluate levels of seven trace metals (Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Pb and Hg) and biochemical (proteins, lipids and carbohydrates) alterations in muscle tissue of 27 commercially important fish species collected from 6 different estuaries along the west coast of India. Estuaries along the central west coast of India (Maharashtra coast) receive wastewater from agricultural, domestic and industrial sources. The study was performed using ICP-OES, GF-AAS, FIMS and an UV-Visible spectrophotometer. The obtained results revealed that the abundance of trace metals and biochemical compounds in fish tissue followed the order: Fe (370.0 � 6.0 ?g/g) > Zn (92.0 � 4.2 ?g/g) > Mn (23.0 � 1.24 ?g/g) > Cu (27.9 � 1.8 ?g/g) > Cr (1.2 � 0.18 ?g/g) > Pb (0.28 � 0.06 ?g/g) > Hg (0.09 � 0.01 ?g/g) and proteins (43.5 � 1.6 mg/g) > lipids (23.6 � 1.6 mg/g) > carbohydrates (3.9 � 1.8 mg/g). The results indicate that various levels of trace metals exist in the studied fish species, but the concentrations are within permissible limits set by the USFDA, FAO/WHO, and EU for human consumption, except Mn (< 1.0 ?g/g) and Fe (< 100.0 ?g/g) in some of the species. Cu (r = ? 0.39) and Zn (r = ? 0.85) showed a negative correlation with total carbohydrates (n = 120; p < 0.05), indicating that accumulation of Cu and Zn can impact the metabolic characteristics of the fish. Results of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) highlighted the same point source for these metals as influenced by anthropogenic processes.