Bioaccumulation of heavy metals in some commercial fishes and crabs of the Gulf of Cambay, India

摘要

The Gulf of Cambay, India also known as the Estuarine Delta due to the convergence of many popular rivers of diverse nature like Sabarmati, Mahi, Narmada, Dhandhar, Tapti and Vishwamitri, comprises of a special ecosystem consisting of mud flats, dunes and scattered sandy beaches. It receives discharges (domestic and industrial effluents) in significant quantities due to extensive industrial development and urbanization, including one of the world's largest ship-breaking yards at Alang-Sosiya, which usually make the coast rich. However, in the process its waters are being more contaminated. Heavy metals, petroleum hydrocarbons and other floating organics are some of the common contaminants, which affect the quality of the environment. The geographical location of the Gulf of Cambay makes these contaminants usually undergo slower dilution and dispersion than would occur in the open marine systems. As a result, seafood, particularly fishes and crabs which have great local consumption and export value, is considerably affected. Our earlier studies on the horizontal distribution patterns of metals in the sediments of this region have suggested that the major inputs could be due to a variety of increasing anthropogenic activities with time together with the outsourcing of the ship-breaking works at Alang-Sosiya. In the present correspondence, preliminary findings of metal accumulation in two aquatic animals, fishes (Harpodon nehereus) and crabs (Metopograpsus maculates) have been reported.