ASSESMENT OF SOME HEAVY METAL CONCENTRATION AND THEIR BIOACCUMULATION FACTOR IN SURFACE WATER AND FISH GILLS FROM ATA-OBONG RIVER

ABSTRACT The assessment of some heavy metals concentration and their bioaccumulation factor in surface water and fish gills samples were determined using standard analytical procedure. The result of the analysis was as follows in the gills Cr (0.783 + 00.004mg/kg), Cd (1.233 + 0.025 mg/kg, Pb (1.0789 +0.084 mg/kg) Ar (0.024 +0.009 mg/kg) and (2.0125 + 0.0035 mg/kg) while in the water sample the concentration was Cr (0.837 + 0.06 mg/L), Cd (1.457 +0.009 mg/L), Pb (1.896 +0.0028 mg/L), Ar (0.102+0.016 mg/L) and Hg (1.7395 +0.0021 mg/L) respectively. Apart from Hg and Ar, all the other heavy metals had values higher than the WHO permissible limit. Furthermore, the bioaccumulation factor was in the order Hg (1.16) > Cr (0.94) > Pb (0.90) > Cd (0.84) > Ar (0.23). An indication that the gills of the fish had direct contact with the contaminated medium hence its accumulation. Therefore anthropogenic activities should be minimized around the water body to avoid further contamination of the water with heavy metals.