Risk assessment, bioaccumulation of metals and histopathological alterations in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) facing degraded aquatic conditions.

Two sampling sites contaminated with high aqueous metal concentrations in the vicinity of metal-related factories (site2) and 7 km downstream (site3) were selected along river Nile. These sites were compared to reference fish farm (site1) that fed on unpolluted water source. Bioaccumulation of metals (Cu, Zn, Pb, Fe, Mn and Cd) in Oreochromis niloticus showed a tissue-specific pattern with high rate of accumulation in gills, liver and kidney. The lowest concentrations of almost all metals were observed in muscle. The accumulated pattern was confirmed by histopathological examination of gills, liver and kidneys. Tissues from site2 and 3 revealed various histopathological alterations ranging from compensatory histological changes to histological damage. Evaluation of human health hazard using metals hazard index values in skin and muscle showed that all metals were in the safe limits for human intake except in the case of zinc and cadmium in skin at subsistence consumption level.