The Karnaphuli River estuary, located in southeast coast of Bangladesh, is largely exposed to heavy metal contamination as it receives a huge amount of untreated industrial effluents from the ...Chottagram City. This study aimed to assess the concentrations of five heavy metals (As, Pb, Cd, Cr and Cu) and their bioaccumulation status in six commercially important fishes, and also to evaluate the potential human health risk for local consumers. The hierarchy of the measured concentration level (mg/kg) of the metals was as follows: Pb (13.88) > Cu (12.10) > As (4.89) > Cr (3.36) > Cd (0.39). The Fulton's condition factor denoted that fishes were in better 'condition' and most of the species were in positive allometric growth. The bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) of the contaminants observed in the species were in the following orders: Cu (1971.42) > As (1042.93) > Pb (913.66) > Cr (864.99) > Cd (252.03), and among the specimens, demersal fish, Apocryptes bato appeared to be the most bioaccumulative organism. Estimated daily intake (EDI), target hazard quotient (THQ), hazard index (HI) and carcinogenic risk (CR) assessed for potential human health risk implications suggest that the values were within the acceptable threshold for both adults and children. However, calculated CR values indicated that both age groups were not far from the risk, and HI values demonstrated that children were nearly 6 times more susceptible to non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health effects than adults.
Heavy metal pollution in sediment resources may pose serious threat to ecosystem and human health through food web. In this study, surface sediment samples of 10 stations along the Feni River estuary ...were analyzed to profile the accumulation, sources and pollution levels of heavy metals. The results revealed that the average contents (μg g−1) of eight selected heavy metals followed the order of Mn (37.85) > Cr (35.28) > Ni (33.27) > Co (31.02) > Pb (6.47) > Ag (1.09) > As (0.85) > Hg (0.71), and the concentrations varied spatially and seasonally with relatively higher levels at upward stations and during the rainy season. According to sediment quality guidelines (SQGs), the sediment samples were heavily contaminated with Ag and Hg, and moderately with Co. Threshold effect concentration (TEC) and probable effect concentration (PEC) values indicated that the concentration of only Ni and Cr were likely to occasionally exhibit adverse effects on the ecosystem. Enrichment factor (EF), geo-accumulation index (Igeo) and contamination factor (CF) analyses revealed that Ag, Co and Hg were at moderate to high pollution levels and the rests (As, Cr, Ni, Pb and Mn) were at no to low pollution levels. Potential ecological risk index (PERI) also showed that Ag, Co and Hg were the most potential ecological risk factor being determined in this studied area. Correlation matrix combined with multivariate principal component analysis and cluster analysis suggest that Ag, Co, Ni and Hg originated from anthropogenic sources (agrochemicals, silver nanoparticles anti-microbial agent, silver plating), whereas As, Cr, Pb and Mn primarily originated from natural geological background.
•EF, Igeo, CF and PERI were used to profile pollution levels of heavy metals in sediments of the Feni River estuary.•Ag, Co, Hg and Ni enrichment was more in sediments.•Ag and Co were above average shale values; however, Ni exceeded the TEC values.•Ag, Co and Ni threats to aquatic ecosystem should not be ignored.
As a cheap source of high-quality protein, healthy fats and essential nutrients, dried fish is a common item in the daily diet of the Bangladesh populace. In this study, ten types of widely consumed ...dried fish (H. neherius, T. lepturu, P.chinensis, P. affinis, A. mola, P. microdon, I. megaloptera, C. dussumieri, L. calcarifer, and G. chapra) were analyzed for Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, Se, Rb, Hg, Pb, Ni and As by using an Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) technique. The concentration of the studied metals was found in the order Fe > Zn > Hg > Cu > Se > Cr > Mn > Co > Rb > Pb, while As and Ni were below the limit of detection. All fish species showed moderate to high pollution, where the species H. Neherius and P. Chinensis are the most and least polluted ones, respectively. The probable source of contamination is the leaching from the drying pans into the fish samples, atmospheric deposition, anthropogenic contamination, etc. of the water body where these fish were harvested. The calculated hazard index for the general population was below the maximum limiting value (i.e., < 1) except for Hg to children. The carcinogenic risk showed values lower than the acceptable limit for cancer risks (10
to 10
). Periodic monitoring of trace metals in the aquatic organisms along with fish is recommended to avoid any unexpected health hazards caused by the toxic heavy metals via fish consumption.
This study aimed to provide the first description of the presence, quantity, and diversity of microplastics (MPs) in intertidal sediments from the world's longest natural beach, Cox's Bazar. MPs were ...extracted from 24 surficial sediment samples through the density separation method, and identification was carried out using a stereomicroscope. Results showed that the abundance of MPs varied from 200 to 378.8 items kg−1 with the mean abundance of 368.68 ± 10.65 items kg−1. Fibers were the dominant (53%) MPs in this study, followed by films (20%) and fragments (12%). The dominant plastic particle color was purple (18%), followed by pink (14%) and red (7%), with shapes that were mainly filamentous (53%) and irregular (41%). The majority (59%) of the MPs measured were 1–5 mm in size, followed by 0.5–1 mm (27%) and <0.5 mm (14%).
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•First description on occurrence and characterization of microplastics (MPs) from the world's longest beach is described.•MPs varied from 200 to 378.8 items kg−1 with the mean abundance of 368.68 ± 10.65 items kg−1.•Fibers were the dominant (53%) MPs occurred in this study, followed by films (20%), fragments (12%).•Occurrence of MPs in the world's longest beach has advanced our knowledge on MPs pollution in the marine ecosystem.
Hangzhou Bay is facing severe anthropogenic perturbation because of its geographic position. We studied species-specific bioaccumulation of metals in commercially important fishes and shellfishes, ...and calculated the potential human health hazards through their consumption, which has not been reported earlier from this area. The hierarchy of metal concentration in organisms was in the decreasing order of Zn (10.32 ± 7.13) > Cu (2.40 ± 2.66) > As (0.42 ± 0.26) > Cr (0.11 ± 0.08) > Cd (0.07 ± 0.07) > Pb (0.05 ± 0.02) > Hg (0.012 ± 0.009). Except for Cd and As concentrations in fishes, metal concentrations have not exceeded the national and international guideline values. P. laevis and P. trituberculatus were the most bioaccumulative of the species studied. According to the non-carcinogenic risk assessment, children were more susceptible to metal contamination than adults. The carcinogenic risk (CR) values indicated that children were likely to experience carcinogenic threats for taking cancer-causing agents As and Cd through fish consumption. In terms of organisms, intake of two crab species, P. trituberculatus and E. sinensis, as well as the oyster species P. laevis, could be detrimental to consumers.
Sediment samples of different wetland types (saltmarsh, mangrove, tidal pool, mudflat and sandflat) from an urbanized estuary were analyzed to evaluate the contamination level and ecological risks of ...five heavy metals (Pb, Fe, Zn, Ni and Cr). The findings showed that the mean concentration (mg/kg) of heavy metals followed the order of Fe > Zn > Ni > Pb > Cr, while Pb and Fe concentrations exceeded the recommended guidelines. Heavy metals levels were highest in saltmarsh and mudflats. Contamination assessment indices e.g., contamination factor (CF), degree of contamination (CD), enrichment factor (EF), and geo-accumulation index (Igeo) revealed that the studied wetlands had low to moderate levels of pollution, meaning these sites receive medium levels of anthropogenic contamination compared with background values. For some of the studied metals, such as Pb, Zn, Fe, and Ni, the EF value was >1 in certain types of wetland, indicating anthropogenic sources, while Cr was <1 indicating natural sources. The pollution load index (PLI) value was determined to be <1, indicating perfection of soil, and was in the following order: mudflat> saltmarsh> tidal pool> mangrove > sandflat. The ecological risk (RI) value was the highest for saltmarsh and the lowest for sandflats. However, the RI value for Cr, Zn, Ni, and Pb was <30 suggesting that these metals pose a low risk in the local ecosystem. Cluster analysis (CA), principal component analysis (PCA), and Pearson's correlation specified that anthropogenic sources of metals.
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•Sediments of wetlands (e.g. tidal pool, saltmarsh) were firstly analyzed for metal.•The mean concentration (mg/kg) followed the order of Fe > Zn > Ni > Pb > Cr•Mudflat and saltmarshes accumulated highest levels of heavy metals.•The ecological risk value was the highest for saltmarsh and the lowest for sandflats.•EF value for Pb, Zn, Fe, and Ni was >1 indicating anthropogenic origin.
Abstract
Hilsa shad (
Tenualosa ilisha,
Hamilton, 1822), the highly coveted table fish within the Indian subcontinent, is Bangladesh's most significant single-species fishery. To assess the risk that ...toxic metals pose to human health, certain health risk indices—estimated daily intake (EDI), target hazard quotient (THQ), total target hazard quotient (TTHQ), and target cancer risk (TR)—were calculated. The hierarchy of toxic metals (µg/g-ww) in Hilsa shad of the bay showed as Zn (13.64 ± 2.18) > Fe (9.25 ± 1.47) > Mn (2.98 ± 0.75) > Cu (0.57 ± 0.18) > Cr (0.23 ± 0.06) > Pb (0.22 ± 0.04) > As (0.08 ± 0.02) > Ni (0.06 ± 0.02) > Co (0.04 ± 0.01) > Cd (0.01 ± 0.003) in the wet season and Zn (11.45 ± 1.97) > Fe (10.51 ± 1.38) > Mn (3.80 ± 0.75) > Cu (0.73 ± 0.17) > Pb (0.30 ± 0.03) > Cr (0.20 ± 0.05) > As (0.09 ± 0.01) > Ni (0.08 ± 0.02) > Co (0.07 ± 0.02) > Cd (0.02 ± 0.004) in the dry season. The EDI of all the examined trace metals indicated no risk to human health from consuming Hilsa fish. The estimation of THQ and TTHQ suggested that the ingestion of both individual and combined trace metals through Hilsa shad consumption was safe from the perspective of human health. Also, there was no evidence of carcinogenic risk for consumers based on the evaluation of the TR value of metals (As, Pb, Cd, and Ni) due to Hilsa shad consumption.
Studies from around the world have suggested salt marshes or coastal wetlands can be used as sites for phytoremediation of metals. However, no investigations have been conducted to assess metal ...accumulation and translocation capabilities of salt marsh macrophytes from Bangladesh coastal area. The aim of this study was to evaluate the uptake and translocation of eight metals, Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, Co, Rb, Sr, and Pb in Porteresia sp. from the six salt marsh sites of Bangladesh. The leaf, shoots and root tissues of Porteresia sp. samples were analyzed for metals by using the energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF). The decreasing trend of metal concentrations was, in roots; Fe > Mn > Pb > Cu > Zn > Sr > Rb > Co, in shoots; Mn >Fe > Cu > Pb > Zn > Sr > Rb > Co, in leaves; Fe > Mn > Cu > Pb > Zn > Rb > Sr > Co. Generally, roots of the Porteresia sp. showed high accumulation of the metals when compared to shoots and leaves suggesting relevant availability in the sediment. Pb was the only metal with concentrations significantly higher in the leaves and shoots than in the root. Except for Pb, bioaccumulation concentration factor (BCF) for all metals was lower than 1 in plant organs indicating poor absorption and bioavailability of metals. Higher value (>1) of BCF for Pb infers the species can potentially be used for Pb phytoremediation. However, the translocation factor (TF) confirmed the diversified mobility of the metals from below-ground part to above-ground parts for all the measured metals in the salt marsh species. Highest mobility was observed for Mn and Pb. But it was hard to find any regular trends among all the metals and all the sites.
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•Salt marsh macrophyte species were analyzed to evaluate the uptake and translocation of eight metals.•The roots stored high amount of metals within plant tissues (roots, shoots and leaves).•BCF showed the salt marsh species was metal excluder for the studied metals excepting Pb and Sr.•TF confirmed the diversified mobility of the metals from below-ground part to above-ground parts.•Highest mobility for major metals such as Pb and Mn demonstrated its phytoremediation potentiality.
The occurrence of microplastics (MPs) in aquatic environments has been a global concern because they are toxic and persistent and may serve as a vector for many legacies and emerging pollutants. MPs ...are discharged to aquatic environments from different sources, especially from wastewater plants (WWPs), causing severe impacts on aquatic organisms. This study mainly aims to review the Toxicity of MPs along with plastic additives in aquatic organisms at various trophic compartments and available remediation methods/strategies for MPs in aquatic environments. Occurrences of oxidative stress, neurotoxicity, and alterations in enzyme activity, growth, and feeding performance were identical in fish due to MPs toxicity. On the other hand, growth inhibition and ROS formation were observed in most of the microalgae species. In zooplankton, potential impacts were acceleration of premature molting, growth retardation, mortality increase, feeding behaviour, lipid accumulation, and decreased reproduction activity. MPs togather with additive contaminants could also exert some toxicological impacts on polychaete, including neurotoxicity, destabilization of the cytoskeleton, reduced feeding rate, growth, survivability and burrowing ability, weight loss, and high rate of mRNA transcription. Among different chemical and biological treatments for MPs, high removal rates have been reported for coagulation and filtration (>86.5 %), electrocoagulation (>90 %), advanced oxidation process (AOPs) (30 % to 95 %), primary sedimentation/Grit chamber (16.5 % to 58.84 %), adsorption removal technique (>95 %), magnetic filtration (78 % to 93 %), oil film extraction (>95 %), and density separation (95 % to 100 %). However, desirable extraction methods are required for large-scale research in MPs removal from aquatic environments.
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•Toxicity on fish, microalgae, zooplankton and polychaete, and remediation of MPs in aquatic environments were reviewed•MPs combined with other contaminants could induce higher toxicity•Biological and engineering processes for MPs removal were discussed•Compared with engineering approaches, the biological process takes enough time to degrade MPs•The density separation method as an engineering treatment exhibited excellent performance in MP removal