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Environmental Biomonitoring of Heavy Metal and Microplastic Contamination in Mahi River Unveils Increased Risk to Edible Fish and Humans
Summary
Researchers sampled water and fish from ten sites along India's Mahi River, detecting microplastics (predominantly polypropylene and polystyrene threads) and elevated heavy metals including chromium, nickel, and arsenic in fish muscle tissue, with carcinogenic risk assessments showing nickel and arsenic exceeded safe thresholds — particularly for children consuming local fish.
Environmental pollutants such as heavy metals (HMs) and microplastics (MPs) have become a serious threat on a global scale and contaminate freshwater bodies through agricultural runoff and industrial discharge, impacting aquatic fauna like fish. Therefore, the present study aims to estimate the levels of HMs and identify MP contamination in the water and fish of Mahi River, Gujarat, India. A total of 10 sites were analyzed for HMs (Nickel, Chromium, Lead, Manganese, Zinc, Arsenic) and MP contamination using ICP-MS and ATR-FTIR respectively. Zinc had elevated concentrations (0.104- 0.204 ppm) in water samples across all sites, with highest in Anagad. All sites’ metal pollution load index revealed that Sindhrot (0.039 mg/L) and Khandi (mg/L) were the most polluted. Chromium was ubiquitous in the muscles of six fish species collected, with the highest concentration in Salmostoma phulo (0.753 ppm). Furthermore, the bioconcentration factor revealed the highest bioaccumulation of chromium (31.38) in Salmostoma phulo and of nickel (16.66) in Labeo rohita. The metal pollution index among the fish species ranged from 0.060 mg/kg to 0.116 mg/kg. Additionally, water and fish tissue samples revealed an abundance of microplastics (0.5- 4 mm) consisting of threads (56%), fragments (31%), and films (13%) representing polymers like Polypropylene (PP), Polystyrene (PS), Polyacrylic (PA), and Nylon. Non-carcinogenic (EDI, THQ, HI) and carcinogenic (CR) risk assessments indicated that nickel (CR: 0.00171–0.00278) and arsenic (CR: 0.0001825–0.000252) exceeded the acceptable risk threshold, making them the primary carcinogenic contributors in children due to fish consumption, with children being at a higher risk than adults. These findings underscore the need for immediate attention to environmental monitoring and public health interventions to address the growing threat of heavy metals and microplastics in freshwater ecosystems.