Heavy metal contamination of commercially important fish and shrimp species collected from Calumpang River at Batangas City

• Main Authors: Gonzales, Flordeliza U., Carandang, Jose Santos R., VI
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2004
• Subjects: Water—Pollution > Philippines > Batangas City; Heavy metals; Calumpang River (Batangas City, Philippines); Biology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/faculty_research/13171
• Institution: De La Salle University

Samples from three commercially important species of fish, Therapon jurba (bagaong), Mugil macrolepsis (banakan) and Scatopangus argus (kitang) and a shrimp (Penaeus sp.), water and sediment, were collected in September 2002 (wet season) and April 2003 (dry season) from 3 sites (N13o44.727' E 121o13.178', N13o45.179' E 121o03.754, N 13o46.130' E 121o04.545) in Calumpang River at Batangas City. Collected samples (fish and shrimp muscles, water and sediment) were analyzed for heavy metal ( Pb, Cd and Cu) contamination. Results confirm previous suspicion that the river is polluted. The mean levels of tested heavy metal in river water (Cd=1.23 ppm, Pb=0.41 ppm and Cu = 0.13 ppm) is at least 10x higher than the USEPA and DENR standards for natural waters while the amount of accumulated heavy metal in the river sediment (Cd = 9/7 ppm, Pb = 4.9 ppm and Cu = 5.6 ppm) already suggests a heavily polluted state, The trend is the same with the tissue samples. The muscle Cd levels (T. jurba = 67 ppm, M. macrolepsis = 61 ppm, S. argus = 52.9 ppm and Penaus sp = 61.6 ppm) are already at least 10x higher than the suggested acceptable levels for unlimited consumption even if the Cu (t.jurba = 14.2 ppm, M. macrolepsis - 11.2 ppm, S. argus = 9.1 ppm and Penaus sp. = 54.6 ppm) and Pb levels (T. jurba = 5.9 ppm, M. macrolepsis = 6.7 ppm, S. argus = 18.1 ppm and Penaeus sp. 6.6 ppm) are still within the high limits.