Accumulation of heavy metals in the fish, Oreochromis niloticus and Poecilia latipinna and their concentration in water and sediment of dam lake of Wadi Namar, Saudi Arabia

The present study reports the accumulation of heavy metals like Cu, Hg, Cd, Pb and Cr in different tissues viz, liver, kidney, gills and muscles of Oreochromis niloticus and Poecilia latipinna from two sites in dam lake of Wadi Namar. Water and sediment samples were also collected from two sites for heavy metal analysis. Metal concentration in water and sediment samples of both the sites were observed in the followidng order: Cu>Cr>Pb>Cd>Hg; however, their concentration was found to be more at site 2 as compared to site 1. The order of metal accumulation in different tissues of 0. niloticus and P latipinna was in the following order: Cu>Cr>Pb>Cd>Hg at both the sites, while liver accumulated maximum amounts of metals followed by kidney, gills and muscles. The results showed the site 2 was more polluted by metals than Site 1 and 0. niloticus accumulated greater amount of metals than P latipinna.