Analysis of Some Elements and Speciated Compounds in Fish Found in the New Calabar River of the Niger Delta Area, Nigeria

Abstract

The flesh of guinean and blackchin tilapia, and mullet found in Choba river were collected for elemental studies of mercury, cadmium, lead, arsenic, nickel and speciated forms. Analytical method of X-ray fluorescence (XRF) was used for the elemental studies while Gas chromatographymass spectrometer (GC-MS) was used for the speciated forms. 4.3 mg/kg was the highest concentration of cadmium observed in blackchin tilapia. The three fish species all contained about 0.5 mg/kg of arsenic and 1 mg/kg of mercury. 1.7 mg/kg of lead was detected in mullet while 7.3 mg/kg of nickel was detected in blackchin tilapia. Organometallic compounds found were nickel tetracarbonyl, borane carbonyl in guinean tilapia, nickel tetracarbonyl, borane carbonyl and germanium(iv) pthalocyanine dichloride in blackchin tilapia and [µ-(ƞ6-benzene)] bis (ƞ5-2,4-cyclopentadien-yl) diµ-hydrodi-vanadium. Borane carbonyl was found in mullet.