Abstract
The concentration of some heavy metals (Zn, Mn, Cu, and Fe) were determined in liver and muscles of 72 specimens of Rastrelliger kanagurta, collected during April 2008-March 2009 from the fish harbour of Karachi on monthly basis. The concentration of different metals was found to be generally higher in liver than in muscles of fish. In liver of the fish the highest mean concentration of Fe was 45.668 ug.g -1 , Zn, 23.36 µg.g -1 , Cu, 5.006 µg.g -1 and Mn, 3.273 µg.g-1 and the lowest mean concentrations of these metals were 12.056 ug.g -1 , 3.247 µg.g -1 , 1.14 µg.g -1 and 0.477 µg.g -1 , respectively. In muscles of the fish the highest mean concentration of Fe was 12.74 µg.g-1 , Zn, 12.71 µg.g-1 , Cu, 9.81µg.g-1 and Mn, 3.67 µg.g-1 and the lowest mean concentrations of these metals were 5.89 µg.g-1 , 4.53 µg.g-1 , 1.94 µg.g-1 and 0.17 µg.g-1 , respectively. The concentrations of all heavy metals varied significantly in different months.
