Preliminary Investigation On Heavy Metals In Fish And The Mobile/ Bioavailable Phase Of Sediments

Preliminary Investigation On Heavy Metals In Fish And The Mobile/ Bioavailable Phase Of Sediments From Trinidad And Tobago

Although many studies have focused on heavy metals pollution in the Gulf of Paria, an important fisheries area for commercial species of fish and shellfish and a nursery and feeding area for several aquatic species, few studies have actually quantify concentrations in the biota in the Gulf of Paria. There is generally a lack of information for biota in coastal waters of Trinidad and Tobago. The study provides information on heavy metal contamination of (edible) commercial fish species, which constitute an important economic resource for Trinidad and Tobago. Very little work has been done on sediments off the north, east, south coasts of Trinidad, off the coasts of Tobago or on metal distribution among the various geochemical phases- exchangeable, carbonate bound, iron-manganese oxide bound, organic matter and sulphide bound. Examination of the distribution of the non-residual metal among these phases is important in assessing the potential impact of metal-contaminated sediments in the environment. During this year, two technical reports based on the sediment data were finalized and a technical report based on the fish tissue data was completed.