Assessing the impact of discharged effluents on water quality and food safety in Beni-Suef Governorate

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Beni Suef University.

2 Department of Toxicology and Biochemistry, Animal Health Research Institute, Dokki, Egypt.

3 Department of Toxicology and Biochemistry Beni Suef provincial Lab, Animal Health Research Institute, Dokki, Egypt.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impacts of discharged waste effluent into water sources on heavy metals content in water, sediment and fish. A pilot study was carried out during the period from (March to May 2014). Samples were collected from water, sediment and fish (Oreochromis niloticus) from five fish farms and River Nile in Beni-Suef governorate to estimate Lead, Cadmium, Zinc and Copper. The results revealed a significant increase in Pb and Cd in water, sediment and fish samples collected from fish farms and these metals were within the permissible limits in River Nile samples. Zn and Cu in all samples of water and muscle of (farms and River Nile) were lower than permissible limits of WHO. The results of this study indicate that high levels of some heavy metals present in fish collected from the fish farms in Beni-Suef governorate are not accepted as food for human purposes.

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