Advances in Aquaculture and Fisheries Management

Advances in Aquaculture and Fisheries Management ISSN 2756-3278 Vol. 8 (9), pp. 001-008, September, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

A survey for the presence of microcystins in aquaculture ponds in Zaria, Northern-Nigeria: Possible public health implication

Chia, A. M.^1,3*, Oniye, S. J.¹, Ladan, Z.², Lado, Z.¹, ¹Pila, A. E.¹, Inekwe, V. U.¹ and Mmerole, J. U.²

¹Department of Biological Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.

²National Research Institute for Chemical Technology, Zaria, Nigeria.

³Departamento de Botanica, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), Brazil.

Accepted 24 March, 2020

Abstract

Aquaculture ponds in Zaria, Nigeria, were screened for the occurrence of the hepatotoxic microcystins using an ELISA method. Four genera of cyanobacteria (Microcystis, Nostoc, Planktothrix and Anabaena) were recorded from 11 aquaculture ponds screened. These cyanobacteria are generally known to produce microcystins and other bioactive substances. Six of the 11 aquaculture ponds had detectable concentrations of microcystins (ranging from 0.6 to 5.89 µg/L). This means that there is the possibility of bioaccumulation of microcystins in fish. The implication of this is that people that feed on contaminated fish from these ponds stand the risk of microcystins poisoning.

Key words: Aquaculture, ponds, microcystins, Zaria, Nigeria.