Trace elements in water, sediments and the elongate tigerfish Hydrocynus forskahlii ( Cuvier, 1819) from Lake Turkana, Kenya including health risk analysis

This study presents the distribution of 17 major and trace elements in surface water, sediments and fish tissues from Lake Turkana, Kenya. Eight sediment and 10 water samples from the west bank of the lake, as well as 34... [ view full abstract ]

This study presents the distribution of 17 major and trace elements in surface water, sediments and fish tissues from Lake Turkana, Kenya. Eight sediment and 10 water samples from the west bank of the lake, as well as 34 specimens of the elongate tigerfish Hydrocynus forskahlii caught in that region were examined. It is the first report for Li, Rb, Sr, Mo from the lake and the first report on most of the trace elements for this fish species. The concentrations of elements in the water and sediments showed no sign of pollution. In fish muscle, Li, Zn and Cd showed relatively high abundances, with mean concentrations of 206, 427 and 0.56 mg/kg dw, respectively. The calculated target hazard quotient (THQ) values for Li, Zn, Sr and Cd were 138.7, 1.9, 4.1 and 0.76, respectively; therefore the consumption of these fish poses a health risk to humans in the area.