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Assessment of Hg accumulation in fish and scalp hair in fishing communities along river Swat, Pakistan

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Abstract

Mercury (Hg) bioaccumulation in fish poses severe threats to the food safety and human health. This study was conducted to assess Hg bioaccumulation in fish (n = 24) and scalp hair (n = 77) of the fishing communities at up- and downstream of the river Swat, Pakistan. The mean Hg concentration in upstream fish Salmo trutta fario (Brown trout) and Schizothorax plagiostomus (Swati fish) species was 34.7±18 μg kg−1 and 29.4±15 μg kg−1, respectively. The mean Hg concentration in downstream Swati fish, Crossocheilus diplochilus (Spena deqa), and Garra gotyla (Tora deqa) was 65±21 μg kg−1, 123±33 μg kg−1, and 326±53 μg Kg−1, respectively. The mean Hg concentration in scalp hair of the up- and downstream fishing communities was 658±125 μg kg−1 and 3969±791 μg kg−1, respectively. Independent T-test showed significant difference (p < 0.001) in the mean Hg concentration in scalp hair of the up- and downstream communities. The most prevalent health problems found in the fishing community were muscle pain, headache, visual impairment, arterial blood pressure, anemia, and kidney dysfunction. Multiple linear regression indicated that daily and weekly consumption of the fish significantly increase Hg accumulation in human scalp hair. Regular consumption of fruits and cruciferous and leafy vegetables were found to reduce Hg toxicity in the population. Further studies are recommended to identify the sources of Hg and welfare impact of fish contamination on the fishing community of river Swat.

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Summary of the data generated or analyzed during this study is included in the article. While detailed data of this study are available upon request.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge South Asian Network for Development of Environmental Economics (SANDEE) and International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) for providing financial support to conduct this research work. The analytical support was provided by Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science & Technology (PINSTECH) Islamabad, Pakistan.

Funding

This study was funded by the South Asian Network for Development of Environmental Economics (SANDEE) and International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan

    Muhammad Aamir Munir & Bushra Khan

  2. Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar, Pakistan

    Ishaq Ahmed Mian

  3. Department of Economics, Institute of Management Sciences, Peshawar, Pakistan

    Muhammad Rafiq

  4. Central Analytical Facility Division, Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science & Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan

    Samreen Shahzadi & Kashif Naeem

  5. Department of Environmental Sciences, Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan

    Iqbal Ahmad

Authors
  1. Muhammad Aamir Munir
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  2. Bushra Khan
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  3. Ishaq Ahmed Mian
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  4. Muhammad Rafiq
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  5. Samreen Shahzadi
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  6. Kashif Naeem
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  7. Iqbal Ahmad
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Contributions

Conceptualization: BK, IAM, IA, MAM. Statistical analysis: IA, MR, MAM. Investigation: BK, MAM, SS, KN. Chemical analysis: SS, KN. Project administration: BK, IAM. Field expedition supervision: BK, IAM, MAM. Data interpretation: IA, BK, MR, MAM. Writing—review and editing: IA, BK, IAM, MAM, MR. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Bushra Khan or Iqbal Ahmad.

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Ethical approval and consent to participate

This study was conducted with prior approval from Ethical Research Committee, University of Peshawar. Written consent was obtained from all the sampling population involved in this study.

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Not applicable

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

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Responsible Editor: Lotfi Aleya

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Munir, M.A., Khan, B., Mian, I.A. et al. Assessment of Hg accumulation in fish and scalp hair in fishing communities along river Swat, Pakistan. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28, 67159–67166 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-15348-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-15348-6

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