Characterization of the Heavy Metals Contaminating the River Nile at El-Giza Governorate, Egypt and Their Relative Bioaccumulations in Tilapia nilotica.

This study was carried out to measure the concentration of heavy metals (Pb, Mn, Cr, Cd, Ni, Zn, and Cu) in water and Bolti fish (Tilapia nilotica) samples collected from Rasheed branch of River Nile, north of El-Giza Governorate, Egypt by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The investigated districts through which the branch passes include El-Manashi, Gezzaya, El Katta, Abo Ghaleb and Wardan. Based on WHO and FAO safety reference standards, the results of the current study showed that water and fish tissues were found to contain heavy metals at significantly variable concentration levels among the investigated districts. They were polluted with respect to all the metals tested at Gezzaya district. However, the levels of analyzed metals in water and fish tissues were found lower than legal limits in other districts. The heavy metals showed differential bioaccumulation in fish tissues of the different districts as the accumulation pattern (as total heavy metal residues) was district dependant as follow: Gezzaya > Wardan > El Katta > Abo Ghaleb > El Manashi. © Korean Society of Toxicology 2008.