Manganese, nickel and strontium bioaccumulation in the tissues of the African sharptooth catfish, Clarias gariepinus from the Olifants River, Kruger National Park

Abstract

The gills, liver, muscle and skin were collected from Clarias gariepinus, during four surveys (February, May, June and November) in 1994 from two sites on the Olifants River in the Kruger National Park. With the use of atomic absorption spectrophotometry, metal concentrations of manganese, nickel and strontium bioaccumulated in these tissues were determined. This information was then used to differentiate between the concentrations found at the two locations and between the four survey periods. The con- centration of the metals were found to be highest in the gills, followed by the liver. This suggests the gills to be the primary uptake tissue for these metals following their intimate blood-water contact. The concentration of manganese and strontium, with particular reference to the gills, showed highest bioaccumulation at Mamba. Very little differences in the nickel concentrations were found at both Mamba and Balule. Water bioconcentration factors for manganese and nickel were much higher than that noted for sediment, suggesting a much lower bioavailability of these metals from the sediment. On the other hand, sediment bioconcentration factors for strontium were generally higher than that for water, which could imply higher bioavailability and concentration from the sediment.