Some heavy metals content of sediment and two species of crabs of the lower reaches of New Calabar River, Nigeria

Abstract

This study surveyed heavy metals content (Cu, Se, Zn, Fe, BP, Mn, Cr, Cd, As, and Ni) in Surface sediment and two species of crab; Fiddler Ucapugnax and Portunus Trituberculatus of the lower reaches of New Calabar River. The two species of crab and surface sediments of about 0.5m depth were collected at three different locations in three different months August, September, and October 2021. The samples were analyzed using bulk scientific Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS) model 200A. In the three sample locations the metal that had the highest and lowest concentrations in mg/kg were as follows in Sediment Fe (1.2005 + 0.00021), Ni (0.0295 ± 0.013); Portunus tissue Se (1.0983 ± 0.2993), Cr (0.012 ± 0.000); Portunus Shell As (1 .4668 ± 0.0009), BP (0.0004 ± 0.0004); Fiddler tissue Cu (0.0129 ± 0.0002), Cd (0.0006 ± 0.0002); Fiddler Shell Ar (0.0138 ± 0.0297), Cr (0.0002 ± 0.0000); The results revealed that Abonnema Wharf recorded the highest concentration of most of the metals. The order was Abonnema Wharf> Eagle Island> Iwofe. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to interpret the results, which shows the significant differences in various locations of the samples. The results of ANOVA revealed that there is no significant difference in the mean s of levels of heavy metals between the two species. The results obtained were within the permissible limit or standard set by WHO USEPA and NAFDAC.