Assessment of Heavy Metals and Associated Human Health Risks in Catfish from Mafisa and Boma Road, Morogoro River | Chapter 7 | Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy and Physical Experiences in Morogoro, Tanzania

 

Heavy metals, including lead (Pb), arsenic (As), mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu), are toxic elements that cause significant environmental pollution and consequently health risk. This project aimed at finding the concentration of heavy metals in fish at Morogoro municipal by using an atomic absorption spectrometer (AAS) as the analytical technique. The study was conducted in two sites of the Morogoro River that passes the Mafisa area and the Boma road. The measurements were carried out for Lead(Pb), Mercury (Hg), Arsenic (As), Cadmium(Cd), Chromium(Cr), Zinc(Zn), Copper(Cu) from Industrial Area of Mafisa and results were 0.84,0.05,0.14,0.18,4.50,2.20 mg/kg while that of natural area of Boma Road were 0.12, Not detected,0.08,0.04,0.25,2.30,0.90 mg/kg respectively. The three values of Mafisa, Boma Road and FAO/WHO were compared and found to be completely different. It is concluded that consuming fish from polluted zones such as Mafisa may cause significant health hazards, especially due to long-term exposure to toxic metals like mercury and lead. This study evaluated the concentration levels of selected heavy metals in Clarias gariepinus collected from Mafisa and Boma Road. Assessment of the potential non-carcinogenic health risks to fish consumers in the region was conducted using risk indices such as Estimated Daily Intake (EDI), Target Hazard Quotient (THQ), Reference Dose (RfD) and Hazard Index (HI). HI for Mafisa exceeds 1.

 

 

Author(s) Details

Yusuf Ismail Koleleni
Physics Department, Muslim University of Morogoro, P.O. Box 1031, Morogoro, Tanzania.

 

Please see the book here :- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/mono/978-93-47485-78-7/CH7