Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals in Three different Edible Crab Species at Nellore Coast of Andhra Pradesh in Southeast Coast of India

Author: Vardi Venkateswarlu and Chenji Venkatrayulu

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Abstract

Bioaccumulation in the animal food chain is contaminated with different heavy metals in the coastal environments. The natural aquatic environments are contaminated through heavy metals and affect the aquatic biota negatively which possesses considerable environmental risks and hazards. These heavy metals are the most serious pollutants in the environment due to their toxicity, persistence and ability to concentrate along the food chain. In the present study three different crab species Portunus sanguinolentus, Portunus armatus and Scylla serrata were collected from two different sampling sites (S1&S2) at Nellore coastal region in Southeast coast of India. The results show that, the different crab species have significant (P<0.05) variations in metals concentrations between the organs and clearly indicate that the biomagnifications of heavy metals are accursed in different coastal crab species. Challenges in this area include lack of defined threshold levels of metals in effluents and their removal processes from the water bodies. This study throws light on the real scenario of bioaccumulation of heavy metals through food chain, taking crabs as bioindicator. Suggesting the authorities regarding the threshold values of heavy metals in effluent concentration from various sources and proposing various techniques to remove heavy metals from the water bodies would be the future of this study.

Keywords

Bioaccumulation, Heavy metals, Crab species, Pollution, Hazards, Nellore

Conclusion

The present study concluded that the presence of heavy metals As, Pb, Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn in two different tissues (gills, hepatopancreas) of three-spotted crab Portunus sanguinolentus, blue crab Portunus armatus and, mud crab Scylla Serrata were observed. The selected area has heavy metals contamination and accumulation mainly due to discharges of the thermal power station effluents and shipping activities viz., fertilizers, coal, and iron powder. This assessment shows that the most noteworthy mean metal levels were found in hepatopancreas than the gills of the crab species dependent on their living zone. Crabs can be utilized to build up a delicate bio-indicator to gauge the substantial metal contamination for biological and human wellbeing parameters. Without such a database it will be hard to assess and decipher future outcomes from the coast region or to recognize the spot with upsetting patterns in contamination levels. Finally, there is a need to create contamination control measures to ensure oceanic biological system wellbeing; likewise there is a need to give early notice signs to conceivable human introduction.

References

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How to cite this article

Vardi Venkateswarlu and Chenji Venkatrayulu (2023). Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals in Three Different Edible Crab Species at Nellore Coast of Andhra Pradesh in Southeast Coast of India. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 15(2): 1064-1069.