Assessment of Heavy Metals in Trout inhabited Streams of Miandam and Madyan Swat, Pakistan

Abstract

Heavy metals are high atomic weight molecule having density 5 times greater than that of water. The reason of their wide distribution in the environment is their multiple domestic, agricultural, medical and technological applications which have adverse effects on human and environment. The current study was conducted in Miandam and Madyan valleys of district swat to find out the concentration of heavy metals (cu, Zn, Cd, Fe, Cr, Mn, Pb and Ni) in trout inhibited streams of these valleys. From different streams of both the valleys seven water samples were collected and standard methods were used for analysis of all the water samples. Atomic Absorption spectrophotometer equipped with graphite furnace and mercury hydride stream was used for determination of heavy metal concentration in water samples. Statistically significant difference (p<0.05) was only observed between the streams of the both valleys for Mn, Zn and Ni, otherwise no significant difference (p>0.05) was found between the remaining heavy metals in streams of both the valleys. In streams of Madyan the Fe concentration was found in permissible level but in greater concentration than in Miandam and the remaining heavy metals (cu, Zn, Cd, Cr, Mn, Pb and Ni) were within the normal range according to WHO standards.