Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals in Fishes

Abstract

Heavy metals can be harmful to aquatic species when they are exposed for a brief (acute) or extended (chronic) duration. They have done a lot of good for people, but they also have a lot of detrimental effects on species that aren't their goals. Runoff and groundwater leaching from numerous hazardous metals have a widespread probability of contaminating aquatic ecosystems that pass via industrial or agricultural areas, that can at once jeopardize freshwater life, notably sensitive species like fish. Fish are the most well-known way to figure out how much pollution is in the water. Because fish are an important part of the food chain, looking into how harmful metals impact them could help figure out if metals are bad for people's health. This review aimed to synthesize all existing clinical data regarding the accumulation and absorption of various heavy metals (As, Hg, Cd, Cu, Cr, and Pb), as well as the overall histopathological alterations resulting from prolonged exposure to sublethal concentrations of these heavy metals in the gills and other tissues of freshwater fish. Considering the aforementioned findings, this review endeavors to clarify the detrimental effects of metals on the gills of freshwater fishes.