Affiliations: Geo-Environment Division (EMG), Central Institute of
Mining and Fuel Research, Dhanbad – 826015, India | Centre of Mining Environment, Dept. of Environmental
Science and Engineering, Indian School of Mines Dhanbad – 826004
Abstract: Heavy metal pollution of water resources can be apprehended in East
Singhbhum region which is a highly mineralised zone with extensive mining of
copper, uranium and other minerals. Fish samples were collected around Bagjata
uranium mining area and the heavy metal analysis was done by Atomic Absorption
Spectrophotometer. The geometric mean concentration of Fe, Mn, Zn, Pb, Cu and
Ni of all the fish samples was found to be 18.32, 2.34, 7.35, 1.08, 0.52 and
0.34 mgkg^{-1}_{fresh}, respectively. In general, the fish samples collected from the
pond were found to have higher concentration than the rivers. The results
suggest a very strong association of Fe and Mn between the water and the fish
samples and Zn, Pb and Cu between sediment and fish samples. To assess the risk
due to intake of heavy metals through the ingestion of fish, the hazard
quotients were calculated using the USEPA method. The hazard quotients of the
heavy metals were below 1 posing no threat due to intake of fish to the local
consumers.
Keywords: Fish, heavy metal, intake, risk assessment, hazard quotient
