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Published on: August 29, 2014
Mercury concentrations in commercial fish species of Lake Phewa, Nepal
Chhatra Mani Sharma1, Suresh Basnet, Shichang Kang
1Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environmental Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China. chhatra.sharma@gmail.com
Abstract:
Mercury (Hg) concentrations in four commercial fish species (Tilapia Oreochromis niloticus, Spiny Eel Mastacembelus armatus, African catfish Clarias gariepinus, and Sahar Tor putitora), were investigated in Lake Phewa, Nepal. Mean values of total mercury (THg mg kg(-1), ww) in these fishes were 0.02, 0.07, 0.05, and 0.12 respectively. Methylmercury contributed 82 % of THg. The lowest value was detected in O. niloticus, an exclusive plant feeder. The biomagnification rate of Hg through the fish community was 0.041 per δ(15)N (‰). The present investigation produced an important baseline data of Hg pollution in the fish community in this region.
