Monitoring of the Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals in the Ashtamudi Lake, Kerala, Ramsar Site in Kerala

Aquatic ecosystem is a huge habitat for millions of organisms. The quality and status of this ecosystem will be the aftereffect of many anthropogenic activities. The freshwater and estuarine systems combine most of the inland fishery. Acute water pollution will leads to the eutrophication and affects the health of the aquatic organisms. Most of the aquatic pollutants are very dangerous and the results are not only limited to the organisms; but also it will leads to the bioaccumulation. It will also adversely affect human also. In the present study we are intending to check heavy metal concentrations such as copper, iron, lead in Prawn, Oyster, Etoplus and Mullet of Ashatamudi Lake. The heavy metal concentrations of water were also noted. Ashtamudi lake is included in the list of wetlands of the Ramsar Convention for the conservation of wetlands. Being included in the Ramsar sites, the conservation of the site is very important. Then also it is polluted a lot. The water quality index of Ashtamudi indicates that the lake is in a very dangerous condition. The concentrations of copper is in the increasing concentration of oyster (0.07 mg/l)less thanetroplus and mullet (0.1 mg/l)less than prawn (0.9 mg/l).Iron concentration is in the order as oyster (1.9 mg/l)less thanprawn (2.8 mg/l)less thanetroplus (2.9 (mg/l)less thanmullet (3.4 (mg/l). Lead concentrations are in the concentrations of prawn (0.04 (mg/l) less than etroplus (0.06 (mg/l)less than oyster (0.66 (mg/l). The all samples are in the higher concentration of the metals. It need urgent attention for the protection.