Chiang Mai Journal of Science

Muscle, gill, liver and intestine of six species of fish i.e., Pampus argenteus, Johnius argentatus, Lates calcarifer, Euthynus affinis, Trichiurus haumela and Harpodon nehereus from the Bangladesh coastal water of the Bay of Bengal were analyzed for Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Concentrations of these metals were lower in muscle compared to other organs and the liver contained higher level of all the metals. Distribution of the metals in different organs of fishes was species-specific. Lates calcarifer contained higher concentrations of all metals followed by other species according to their size variations. The metal concentrations were found to be lower than other published results from different unpolluted climatological regions, but metal enrichment slightly increased than previous states of the area. However, metal concentrations in fish muscle did not exceed Australian National Health and Medical Research council (NHMRC) and WHO standards for metals in seafoods. The results of the study indicated that metal concentrations in fishes from the Bay of Bengal do not pose health hazard for consumers.