Abstract:
A study was done to assess the level of some selected heavy metal concentrations in water,
sediment and fish samples as well as to determine the physico-chemical parameters of water and
sediment samples collected from Lake Tinike, during dry and wet seasons. To achieve those
objectives, a laboratory based cross sectional study was conducted from January to June, 2017.
Water, sediment and fish samples were collected from purposefully selected sites in three
sampling sites during the dry and wet seasons. Analyses for heavy metals in fish, sediment and w
ater samples were done using an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). The physicochem
ical parameters like temperature, pH, total dissolved solids (TDS) and conductivity were also
determined in the present study. The results revealed that the overall mean values of copper
(Cu), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and manganese (Mn) in water samples of all sampling sites in
dry and wet seasons were 0.96±0.02, 0.05±0.003, 0.13±0.07 and 1±0.01mg/L, respectively. The
overall mean values of Cu, Cd, Pb and Mn levels observed in sediment samples of all sampling
sites and both seasons were 2±0.041, 0.8±0.008, 1.7±0.1 and 1.22±0.1 mg/kg, respectively.
Similarly, the overall mean values of Cu, Cd, Pb and Mn detected in fish samples of all sites and
both dry and wet seasons were 2.78±0.034, 0.07±0.001, 1.72±0.02 and 3.46±0.08 mg/kg,
respectively. This results showed that, the fish samples had highest mean value of Cu, Pb and
Mn as compared with the mean value of water and sediment samples. But the lowest and medium
mean values were recorded in water and sediment samples, respectively. From the selected heavy
metals, Cd, Pb and Mn in water samples exceeded the maximum permissible limits of drinking
water. In sediment samples, Cu, Cd and Mn concentrations were above the permissible limit
except Pb. Unlike the Cd and Mn, the concentrations of Cu and Pb in fish samples were
recorded above the permissible limit. These indicated that the most of analyzed heavy metal results in water, sediments and fish samples were from Lake Tinike had recorded levels above
the international permissible limits. The findings of this study would have important information
on the implications of public health with regard to heavy metal concentration in water and fish
consumers of Tuji, Kura, Tinike and the surroundings.
