Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Heavy Metals in Seawater of a Fish Hatchery System

This study was conducted to determine Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe and Pb concentrations in the seawater of a fish hatchery and to compare the values obtained with several Marine Fish Culture Standards (MFCS). Six sampling places across the hatchery system were selected for monitoring over a 10-month period and analyzed with Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS). Results showed that the heavy metal concentrations were lower than the MFCS, except for Cu. The concentration of Cu was high in the broodfish recirculating tanks (St. 4) where it measured 19.35 ± 7.76 ug/L and in the effluent (St. 6), where it was 10.57 ± 11.48 ug/L. Copper sulfate added into the broodfish recirculating tanks as algicide treatment appears to be the main reason for this high Cu concentration. In the water intake (St. 1) and the settling tank (St. 2) the concentrations of Cd, Cr, Fe and Pb exhibited a greater range of fluctuation than in other stations. This might be due to the discharge of rivers which open in Sepanggar Bay, sediment-seawater interaction, current, tides and other dynamic processes. The study concluded that the concentrations of heavy metal in the hatchery of Borneo Marine Research Institute can be considered to be within the permissible level for aquaculture activity. However, the operating procedure at the broodfish recirculating tanks may be further improved for still better water quality and fish rearing conditions.


This paper was presented in the Annual Seminar on Marine Science and Aquaculture - Marine Ecosystems and Aquaculture Practices in Changing Climate, 11 - 13 March 2009

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Will the high copper contain in water affect the water in sepanggar area?

Anonymous said...

i think it would be yes..because in my opinion if there is too much trace elements or minor elements in the water it may cause nutrient pollution..it may lead to eutrophication....

plumbing supplies said...

Salt water has its own natural traces of metal such as copper, etc. This can help up nurture fishes in their hatchery.

party bags said...

The capacity of corals to assimilate heavy metals in response to environmental availability, as defined by sediment and water concentrations, was investigated at three sites in the Townsville region: a harbour, a control island, and a site occasionally influenced by harbour dredge spoils. In Townsville Harbour, biologically available lead, copper, and zinc concentrations were higher than at other sites. Nickel and chromium concentrations were also higher in harbour sediments, but only in phases relatively inaccessible to biota.

Playmobil said...

Although you may live thousands of miles from a coral reef ecosystem, these products flow into the water system, pollute the ocean, and can harm coral reefs and marine life.

Double Glazing said...

There are some elements that can really help a lot to fish hatchery, but also, there are some that can harm them too. There are elements that should not be in a high amount because it can cause too much damage to marine life, and if that happens, humans can also get affected with this.

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