Heavy Metals Detected in Water Bodies and Locally Smoked Fish Species in Mining Communities

Malnutrition is a persistent issue in low-and middle-income countries. In Ghana, fish plays a vital role in people's diets. Although residents of the Nadowli-Kaleo district frequently consume native fish species, there is limited information regarding potential heavy metal contamination in these locally smoked fish. In this study, water and smoked Nemdoras elongatus, and Clarias gariepinus fish samples, were collected from five communities within the Nadowli-Kaleo district. These samples were transported to the Ghana Standards Authority laboratory for analysis. The samples were acid-digested with HNO۳ and H۲O۲, and heavy metal levels were measured using AAS. The concentrations of heavy metals in the smoked fish samples were found to be ۰.۷۴ mg/kg for mercury (Hg), ۰.۴۹ mg/kg for chromium (Cr), ۰.۰۹ mg/kg for arsenic (As), and ۰.۰۵ mg/kg for lead (Pb). Significant levels of cadmium (Cd) were detected in all water samples analyzed in this study. The water samples from Sankana, Tangasie, and Gabillee were found to be polluted with both Cd and Pb. Cadmium was not detected in either Nemdoras elongatus or Clarias gariepinus in all communities studied. The lowest heavy metal accumulation factor was detected in Cr against Nemdoras elongatus, while the highest accumulation factor was detected in Hg against Clarias gariepinus. Consuming food with elevated levels of heavy metals can lead to various health issues. These findings provide valuable data for effective control of heavy metal pollution in food and water bodies. Further research is recommended to identify the primary sources of these heavy metals in these communities

کلیدواژه ها:

Clarias gariepinus ، Nemdoras elongatus ، smoked fish ، illegal mining ، polluted water ، Mercury