Transfer of heavy metals from lake water to biota: a potential threat to migratory birds of Mathura lake, West Bengal, India

Piyal Bhattacharya

doi:10.52756/ijerr.2015.v01.001

Piyal Bhattacharya Department of Environmental Science, Kanchrapara College, West Bengal-743 145, India

DOI: https://doi.org/10.52756/ijerr.2015.v01.001

Keywords: Heavy metal, lake pollution, Mathura Lake, migratory birds

Abstract

The present study was conducted in the Mathura oxbow lake, West Bengal, India to assess the severity in transferring harmful heavy metals from lake water to its biota. Plenty of common and seasonal migratory birds are dependent on this lake for their food and nesting. The results of current investigation right away threaten the living and survival of lake biota including the migratory birds. The lake water was found to be highly polluted with cadmium (0.001–0.003 mg/l) and chromium (0.01–0.05 mg/l), and moderately polluted with zinc (0.06–0.08 mg/l) and coliform load (2×104 cfu/ml). The studied plant and fish samples of the lake were detected to bioaccumulate heavy metals viz. cadmium and zinc far exceeding the recommended toxicity threshold levels. From contaminated fishes these toxic metals may ultimately transmit and be biomagnified in birds, and thus may endanger the entire migratory bird population.

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