Authors : Libin Baby; Liya Jose M.; M. A. Solomon; P. T. Lakshmanan

Volume/Issue : Volume 9 - 2024, Issue 8 - August

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/4dzpxrrv

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/3racrn2x

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/IJISRT24AUG1252

Abstract : Aquatic systems are extensively contaminated with heavy metals released due to anthropogenic activities. Mercury is one of toxic elements and its toxicity to humans has been established. The concern about mercuric pollution in the environments started with the incident of ‘Minamata’ in Japan in 1950’s. During the study period, flowing mercury electrode was used for the preparation of caustic at Travancore Cochin Chemicals Ltd (TCC), Eloor and effluents of small industries at Edayar were the sources of mercuric pollution. Surface water samples were collected from 1Km apart from TCC, near to Indian Rare Earth Ltd (IRE), Muttinakam and Mannamthuruth and fishes (male and female) were collected from this region with the help of local fishermen. This study implies the amount of mercury in aquatic system and its influence in different body components of three fishes. Total mercury content in both the samples analysed using cold vapour atomic absorption using Mercury Analyser MA-5840 and loss on mercury on heating processes (fishes) was decreased by the use of Bethge Apparatus. Fishes were Oreochromis mossambicus (Thilapia), Mugil cephalus (Mullet) and Arius arius (Cat fish) which were living in surface to near shore, middle of the river and bottom. The proximate composition (AOAC, 2000) of fishes showed that they were low fat (0.57-4.24%) with high protein content (18.4-21.96%). The total mercury content in surface water varied from 1.667- 3.334ng/ml and it was above tolerance level (1ng/ml) while in fishes followed the order A. arius> M. cephalus> O. mossambicus. Relatively higher concentrations of mercury were noticed in gut and liver than muscle, and also male fishes predominated over female. This study shows that mercury cycle in the habitat water did not influence to any hazardous level in these three fishes.

Keywords : Mercury, Pollution, Periyar, Water and Fishes.

References :

1. AOAC (2000). Official methods of analysis of the Association of official Analytical Chemists International, 17^thEdn, Maryland, USA.
2. AOAC (1990). Official methods of analysis of the Association of official Analytical Chemists International, 15^thEdn, Maryland, USA.
3. Asharaf P. and Mukundasn M. K. (2007). Seasonal variations in water quality of four stations in the Periyar river basins. Journal of Environmental Science Engineering., 49920, 127 – 132.
4. Bennion M. (1997). Introductory foods. 7^th Edition MacMillan: New York, USA.
5. Bhupander Kumar, K. S. Sajwan, D. P. Mukherjee (2012).  Distribution of Heavy Metals in Valuable Coastal Fishes from North East Coast of India. Turkish Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 12: 81-88 (2012).
6. Brim, M. S., Bateman, D., Jarvis, R., &Carmody, G.(1994). Mercury in fishes of the J. N. Ding Darling national Wildlife Refuge. U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Wildlife Enhancement. Publication No. PCFO-EC.94-03.
7. CESS Annual report (2011). Natural resources and management. Water and sediment quality monitoring and assessment of estusries of Kerala: A case study from Kochi estuary and Periyar river.
8. Feeley, R. M., Criner, D. E. C. and Watt, B. K. 1972. Cholesterol content of foods. Journal of American Dietetic Association 61: 134-148.
9. Greenpeace, 2003. Status of Periyar’s health at the Eloor industrial estate, Kerala India. Greenpeace Research Laboratories, University of Exeter, 23 pp.
10. Gurr, M. I. 1992. Dietary lipids and coronary disease: old evidence, new perspectives and progress. Lipid Res. 31:195-243.
11. Hall, B. D., R. A. Bodaly, R. J. .P. Fudge, J. W. M. Rudd and D. M. Rosenberg. 1997. Food as the dominant pathway of methylmercury uptake by fish. Water Air Soil Pollut. 100(1-2):13-24.
12. India Today, 16^th April 2003.
13. Kehrig, H. A., M. Costa, I. Moreira and O. Malm. 2002. Total and methylmercury in a Brazilian estuary, Rio de Janeiro. Mar. Poll. Bull. 44(10):1018-1023.
14. Kurland L. (1960). The out book of a neurological disorder in Minamata, Japan, and its relationship to the ingestion of a seafood contaminated by mercuric compounds. World neurology, 1: 370-391.
15. Lawrence, L. A., & Mason, R. P. (2001). Factors controlling thebioaccumulation of mercury and methyl mercury in theestuarine amphipod Leptocheirusplumulosus. EnvironmentalPollution, 111, 217–231.
16. Loux, N. T. (1998). An assessment of mercury-speciesdependentbinding with natural organic carbon. ChemicalSpeciation and Bioavailability, 10(4), 127–136.
17. Malm,O.;Brancles,F.J.;Kag,A.;Castro,M.B.;Pfeiffer,W.C.;Harada,M.;Bastos,W.R.; Kato,H.(1995): Mercury and methyl mercury in fish and human hair from the Tapajos River basin, Brazil. Sci.Total Environm. 75: 141-150.
18. Menon, N. N., Balchand, A. N. and Menon, N. R. 2000. Hydrobiology of the Cochin backwater system- a review. Hydrobiol., 430: 149-183.
19. Menon, N. N., Balchand, A. N., & Menon, N. R. (2000). Hydrobiology of Cochin backwater system—a review. Hydrobiologia, 430, 149–183.
20. Mohapatra S., Pillay V. V. and Arathy S. L. (2011). Assessment of mercury contamination in Eloor region of Periyar river in Kerala by Dithizone method. Journal of the Indian Society of Toxicology, vol.7, (2), 8-10.
21. Nair, M., Jayalekshmy, K. V., Balachandran, K. K., & Joseph, T. (2006). Bioaccumulation of toxic metals by fish in a semienclosed tropical ecosystem. Journal of Environmental Forensics, 7, 197–206.
22. Olivero,J.;Navas,V.;Derez,A.;Solano,B.;Arguello,E.andSalas,R..(1997): Mercury levels in mussle of some fish species from the Dique Channel, Colombia. Bull.Environ. Contam. Toxicol.58:865-870.
23. Omana, P. K., & Mahesh, M. (2008). The new mercury pollution threat to aquatic ecosystems of India—An example from Kerala. Ecology, Environment and Conservation, 14(2–3), 1–4.
24. Omana, P. K., & Mahesh, M. (2008). The new mercury pollution threat to aquatic ecosystems of India—An example from Kerala. Ecology, Environment and Conservation, 14(2–3), 1–4.
25. Ouseph, P. P. (1992). Dissolved, particulate and sedimentary mercury in the Cochin estuary, south west coast of India. InW. Michales (Ed.), Coastal and estuarine studies (pp. 461– 465). berlin: Springer
26. Ouseph, P. P. (1996). Distribution of mercury, copper, zinc, cadmium, lead and chromium in the sediments of River Periyar and Cochin harbour. Report submitted to Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment.
27. Robin R. S., Pradita R. M., Vardhan K. V., Gangualy D., Abilash K. R. and Balasubramanian T. (2012). Heavy metal concentration and risk assessment in the marine environment of Arabian Sea, along southwest coast of India. American Journal of Chemistry, 2(4), 191 – 208.
28. The Hindu news paper dated September 8, 2009 (ON LINE EDITION).
29. Thomas D. R., Sunil S. and Latha C. (2011). Physio – chemical analysis of well water at Eloor industrial area – seasonal study. Current World Environment, vol.6 920, 259 – 264.
30. UNEP. (2002). Global mercury assessment report, draft1, 25, United Nations Environmental Program.
31. USEPA CR. (2001). Water quality criteria for the protection of human health: Methyl mercury. Office of Science and Technology, Office of Water, US Environmental Protection Agency.
32. WHO (1991). Inorganic mercury. World Health Organization, International Programme on Chemical Safety. Geneva, Switzerland. Vol.118. 168 p.
33. Windom, H. L and G. Cranmer. 1998. Lack of observed impacts of gas production of Bongkot field, Thailand on Marine Biota. Mar. Poll. Bull. 36(10):799-807.