A study on the concentration of heavy metals in water and sediments of natural water reservoir in Wadi Hanefah, Saudi Arabia and uptake of metals by a fish, Poecilia latipinna

The study was carried out to assess the concentration of heavy metals in the water and sediments of a natural water reservoir in Wadi Hanefah, Saudi Arabia receiving heavy metal contaminated industrial waste. The overall concentration of heavy metals (Cu, Ni, Zn, Cr, Cd, As) in the organs of Poecilia latipinna was found to be 0.7-4.6 ppm in heart, 1.2-4.4 ppm in liver, 0.9-5.3 ppm in kidney, 0.8-4.6 ppm in gills, 0.5-3.1 ppm in muscles and 0.6-3.3 ppm in skin. The concentration of the heavy metals was higher in muscles and skin of fish from the Wadi Hanefah as compared with that of the control site. It has been found that the level of a few metals (Ni, As, Cu and Cr) in the various tissues of P. latipinna from Wadi Hanefah was higher than the acceptable limit for consumption by international standards.