ANALYSIS OF HEAVY METALS IN THE KIDNEY, MUSCLE TISSUE AND BLOOD OF INDIAN BULLFROG SPECIES (Hoplobatrachus tigerinus) COLLECTED FROM SIALKOT AND GUJRANWALA DISTRICTS
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Date
2023-06-15
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DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY KINNAIRD COLLEGE FOR WOMEN UNIVERSITY LAHORE,
Abstract
Amphibians include frogs, salamanders, and caecilians, which are vertebrate tetrapods.
Frogs are known as "indicator species" because they are the first to be affected by
environmental degradation. They are particularly sensitive to environmental changes
and can provide scientists with significant information on how an ecosystem functions.
The research was focused on analysis of heavy metals in the kidney, muscle tissue and
blood in Indian Bullfrog (Hoplobatrachus tigerinus) specie collected from the selected
areas of Gujranwala and Sialkot Districts. Their significance in regard to the role they
play as pollution indicators was observed. Samples from both study areas were
collected by using sweep nets. Frogs were dissected humanely and organ specimens
were preserved in 10% buffered Formalin Solution. Blood samples were collected by
cardiac puncture and acid digested with 1HNO3: 0.3HClO4 on hot plate. For heavy
metal detection in the samples of kidney and muscle tissues of frogs were burnt to ashes
in the muffle furnace at 600°C (1hour for kidney and 2hours for muscle tissue)
respectively and then acid digested with 1HNO3: 1H2SO4. Atomic Absorption
Spectrophotometer was used to analyze the digested samples after filtering them to
remove any solid particles. The results obtained were compared with standard stock
solution values. The analyzed values were then matched with the standard permissible
limits recommended by WHO. Experimental results further showed that all the studied
metals Cadmium, Chromium, Nickel, Copper, Cobalt, Manganese, and Zinc were
present within the permissible limits. The values of heavy metals [Nickel, Zinc,
Manganese and Copper] were negligible in muscle tissue, kidney and blood samples
and the concentrations of cadmium, chromium and cobalt were notable but within the
WHO permissible limits. It indicates that quality of land is better and water quality is
above average in both of the study areas. Though some concentrations of heavy metals
are naturally present in the groundwater and the tap water sources, the prevalence of
these heavy metals could be due to the long-term overuse of ground water as a source
of irrigation therefore, the industrial effluent waste and sewage must have leached into
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the soil and contaminated the groundwater in the nearby fields from where frogs were
collected. This research would be helpful in providing baseline information on
pollution status as well as defining the heavy metals' point sources in the study sites.