Assessing Heavy Metals in the Waters, Fish and Macroinvertebrates in Manila Bay, Philippines

Glenn Sia Su, Kristine Joy Martillano, Tessa Paula Alcantara, Elena Ragragio, Josefina De Jesus, Arnold Hallare And Gliceria Ramos, 200 9. Assessing Heavy Me tals in the Waters, Fish and Macroinverte brates in Manila Bay, ISSN 0126-2807 Philippines. Volume 4, Number 3: 187-195, September-December, 2009 © T2009 Department of Environmental Engineering Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology, Surabaya & Indonesian Society of Sanitary and Environmental Engineers, Jakarta Open Access http: //www.tr isanita. org

Researc Rese arch h Paper Paper

ASSESSING HEAVY METALS IN THE WATERS, FISH AND MACROINVERTEBRATES IN MANILA BAY, PHILIPPINES GLENN SIA SU1*, KRISTINE JOY MARTILLANO 1, TESSA PAULA ALCANTARA 1, ELENA RAGRAGIO2, JOSEFINA DE JESUS1, ARNOLD HALLARE 2 and GLICERIA RAMOS 1 1De

La Salle University, 2401 Taft Avenue, Manila, Philippines. of the Philippines Manila, Padre Faura St., Manila Philippines.

2University

*Corresponding

Author: Phone/fax: +63-2-536-0228. Email: [email protected].

Received: 6th August 2009; Revised: 28th September 2009; Accepted: 29th November 2009

Abstract: This Abstract: This study assessed the heavy metals particularly total cadmium, total lead and total chromium in the waters, fish and macroinvertebrates in Manila Bay, Philippines. The heavy metals monitoring in the waters of Manila Bay were carried out for six consecutive months, September to February of 2007-2008, covering both wet and dry periods. The collection of fishes and macroinvertebrates macroinvertebrates in this investigation investigation lasted from September to November November 2007. Results showed that that the heavy metals particularly total chromium, total lead and total cadmium were evident in the waters, fish and macroinvertebrates. Significant differences on the total cadmium and total lead in the waters were noted for both the wet and dry periods. Accumulation of heavy metals in the aquatic organisms was species dependent. Highest heavy metal concentrations among the tissues in the studied fishes were evident in the liver as compared to the muscle. Continuous heavy metals monitoring is encouraged to effectively analyze the risk and impact of heavy metals on the environment and on the general public’s welfare. Keywords: Cadmium, chromium, chromium, lead, fish, fish, macroinvertebrate macroinvertebrate

INTRODUCTION The Manila Bay is land lock by Metro Manila and the municipalities of Bataan, Bulacan, Cavite and Pampanga Pampanga and is situated situated at the Southwestern Southwestern part of Luzon. Manila Bay is popular popular among the Filipinos and and tourists for the numerous benefits benefits it provides. Manila Bay is known for its picturesque view, recreational benefits, livelihood opportunities, ecotourism benefits and habitats to a number of terrestrial and aquatic organisms [1]. Recently, a coastal lagoon in Manila Bay has been declared as Metro Manila’s critical habitat and identified as one of the country’s 187 Journal of Applied Sciences in Environmental Sanitation, 4 (3): 187-195.

Glenn Sia Su, Kristine Joy Martillano, Tessa Paula Alcantara, Elena Ragragio, Josefina De Jesus, Arnold Hallare And Gliceria Ramos, 2009. Assessing Heavy Metals in the Waters, Fish and Macroinvertebrates in Manila Bay, Philippines.

important wetlands [2] as numerous endemic wildlife species, migratory birds, mudflats and mangrove resources are found. However, with the critical condition of this habitat, it is continuously threatened with pollution. In the recent years, the concern over heavy metal pollution in the marine environment has become a rising concern due to the human activities that contribute significantly to the release of these heavy metals in the environment particularly in the Manila Bay. According to a study [3] that heavy metals in the environment are brought about primarily by anthropogenic sources though heavy metals are a natural part of the environment and provide numerous benefits to society. Most of the heavy metals that get deposited in most water bodies are due to those coming from coal and oil combustion, internal combustion engines, local point sources, and in direct deposition from air pollution, and bedrock geology and soils [3]. This grave concern posed by heavy metals in the environment creates an immense threat to the existence of organisms thriving in the area, to the ecological integrity of the habitat as these heavy metals may enter the food chains, persist in the environment, bioaccumulate and biomagnify and increase the exposure to public health risks. To date, there have been few Philippines studies that dealt in determining the heavy metals in the surface water quality of the Las Pinas-Paranaque lagoon of Manila Bay but no study has explored on the concentrations of these heavy metals in the biota. With these concerns, this study aims to assess the extent of heavy metal pollution particularly by total lead, total chromium and total cadmium concentrations of the waters and aquatic biota caught from the coastal lagoon of Manila Bay. Results of this study may contribute significantly to our current knowledge particularly on the present state of the Manila Bay particularly in the coastal lagoon recently proclaimed as the metropolis’ critical habitat. This study presents the first common baseline data for heavy metals in the coastal lagoon of Manila Bay. Government and non-government agencies may likewise benefit from this study as the results provides a benchmark information that may provide the basis for the measures that these institutions need in developing and implementing safeguards for the country’s natural resources and the environment in general. MATERIALS AND METHODS Grab water samples were collected following the sampling procedures of [4] and were examined for heavy metals concentrations particularly total cadmium, total chromium and total lead. Water samples were obtained in five sampling points in the coastal lagoon of Manila Bay for six consecutive months, September to February 2008 covering both the dry and the wet periods. The sampling points of the coastal lagoon of Manila Bay were between the 14 029’06.4” North and 120 059’18.4” East coordinates. Water samples collected were acid digested with nitric acid (Merck, Germany) following the standard procedures of the American Public Health Association (APHA), American Waterworks Association (AWWA) and Water Environmental Foundation (WEF) [5]. Acid digested water samples were analyzed using the Shimadzu AA-6300 atomic absorption spectrophotometer (Shimadzu Scientific Instruments, Inc., Kyoto, Japan). The surface water quality criteria used for interpreting results were obtained from the 1990 Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) Administrative Order No. 34 series of 1990 for Class C waters (1990) [6]. A local fisherman caught the fishes and macroinvertebrates assessed for heavy metals during the months of September to November 2007 using a trawl net at the coastal lagoon of Manila Bay. The collection of samples using the bottom trawl fishing method started from the 188 Journal of Applied Sciences in Environmental Sanitation, 4 (3): 187-195.


north end of the lagoon going to the south and then back to the starting point again which is the north end. Fishes and macroinvertebrates collected were immediately processed. For each fish and macroinvertebrate encountered, the scientific name (identification), length (measured with a ruler) and weight (using a digital scale) were recorded. All fishes and macroinvertebrates were identified through the www.fishbase.org. Fishes were dissected for their liver and muscle while the muscles and gills from the macroinvertebrates were obtained. All collected fish and macroinvertebrates samples were ash and the wet digestion method was used in the analysis for the heavy metals total cadmium, total chromium and total lead following the Standard Procedures of [5] before using the Shimadzu AA-6300 atomic absorption spectrophotometer (Shimadzu Scientific Instruments, Inc., Kyoto, Japan). Appropriate controls and standards and calibration curves were prepared for each of the variables that were tested in the fish, macroinvertebrates and water samples. Duplicate samples were tested and read in triplicate.

Fig. 1: The study site and the sampling points Results of the water samples tested for heavy metals were analyzed for significant differences on the extent of heavy metals pollution in the coastal lagoon of Manila Bay between the wet and the dry periods of collection using the t-test for paired observations. The t-test assumed that all the variables analyzed were normally distributed with a 95% significance level. As the t-test requires the variances be equal, Bartlett’s test for homogeneity of variance was conducted to determine the equality of variances, whereas Satterthwaite’s test was done to adjust the unequal variances. The null hypothesis for the t-test indicated no significant difference of the extent of heavy metals on the waters collected during the wet and the dry periods, whereas the alternate hypothesis presented a significant difference on the extent of heavy metals on the 189 Journal of Applied Sciences in Environmental Sanitation, 4 (3): 187-195.


waters collected during the wet and the dry periods. The test indicating p<0.05 could be a reason to conclude that the difference between the periods were significant. Mean concentrations of the heavy metals in the fishes and macroinvertebrates were determined. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Heavy metals like total cadmium, total chromium and total lead concentrations were detected in all the fishes, macroinvertebrates and water samples obtained from the coastal lagoon of Manila Bay. The presence of the heavy metals in the lagoon maybe attributed to the local point sources and by the direct deposition of heavy metals from air pollution as the lagoon is situated close to a highway by the metropolis [3]. Significant differences on the concentrations present in the waters for the heavy metals total cadmium and total lead at all the sampling points were observed during wet (September to November 2007) and dry (December to February 2008) months of monitoring (P < 0.05) as shown in Table 1. Lead and cadmium are heavy metals that largely dominate the impact of long-range transported air pollutants. The high concentration of total lead and total cadmium in the coastal lagoon of Manila Bay during the wet periods may be due to the direct deposition of these metals due to precipitation [3]. Table 1: Mean concentration and t test results of the heavy metals in Manila Bay during the wet and dry months of 2007-2008 Parameter (mg L-1) Total Cd

Total Cr

Total Pb

Normal Standard 0.005 WET DRY 0.01 WET DRY 0.01 WET DRY

Site 1

Site 2

Site 3

Site 4

Site 5

t-test

Sig. (2-tailed)

56.924 2.425

47.741 2.516

42.457 2.096

38.262 39.592 -5.415 0.00 s 2.097 1.828

0.368 0.274 0.281 0.319 -0.023* -0.040* -0.103* 0.890

0.316 0.096

-0.829 0.41 ns

0.743 0.279

0.527 0.283

-3.793 0.00 s

0.701 0.336

0.607 0.327

0.561 0.323

DENR-EMB, P<0.05; NS, not significant, S, significant *Below detection limit of 0.01

A total of 14 fish and macroinvertebrates were obtained from the coastal lagoon of Manila Bay. At the first month of collection, 7 fish species and 2 macroinvertebrate species were caught. The fish species were Halfbeaks ( Hyporhampus dussumieri ), Mullet (Liza sp.), Deep body sardinella (Sardinella brachysoma), Yellowstripe scad (Selaroides leptolepis), Barracuda (Sphyraena qenie), Anchovies (Stolephorus comersonii ), and Tigerperches (Terapon jarbua). The 2 macroinvertebrates species were the Mollusk Hard clam ( Mercenaria sp.) and the Shrimp (Penaeus sp.). In the succeeding month of collection, 4 fish species and 2 species of macroinverterbrates were caught. The fish species were Mullet ( Liza sp.), Greenback mullet (Liza subviridis), Otomebora mullet (Mugil melinopterus), and Barred queenfish (Scomberoides tala).

190 Journal of Applied Sciences in Environmental Sanitation, 4 (3): 187-195.


The two macroinvertebrates species were the Blue crab ( Portunus pelagicus) and the Mud crab (Scylla serrata). In the third month of collection, 2 fish species were caught. The fish species were Mullet (Liza sp.) and the Greenback mullet ( Liza subviridis). The collection of fish and macroinvertebrates species ended when the same fishes and macroinvertebrates were caught at the 3rd month of collection. The most common fishes caught during the entire collection period were the mullet (Liza sp.) and the Greenback mullet (Liza subviridis). Table 2 shows the listing of fish and macroinvertebrate species obtained, their local and common names. Table 2: Fish and macroinvertebrates common, local and scientific names obtained at the coastal lagoon of Manila Bay, Philippines Scientific Names Fishes Hyporhamphus dussumieri Liza sp. Liza subviridis Mugil melinopterus Sardinella brachysoma Scomberoides tala Selaroides leptolepis Sphyraena qenie Stolephorus comersonii Terapon jarbua Macroinvertebrates Mercenaria sp. Penaeus sp. Portunus pelagicus Scylla serrata

Common Names

Local Names

Halfbeaks Mullet Greenback mullet Otomebora mullet Deep body sardinella Barred queenfish Yellowstripe scad Barracuda Anchovies Tigerperches

Hamalit Banak Buwan-buwan Kapak Daing Talakitok Salay-salay Torsillos Dilis Bagaong

Mollusk Hard clam Shrimp Blue crab Mud crab

Halaan Hipon Alimasag Alimango

The different fish species liver and muscles and the macroinvertebrates muscles and gills were analyzed for the heavy metals total cadmium, total chromium and total lead. Among all the fishes liver examined (Table 3), the highest mean total chromium, total lead and total cadmium were found at the Hyporhamphus dussumieri liver at 14.3179 mg/kg, Selaroides leptolepis liver 9.6881 mg/kg, and 2.5458 mg/kg, respectively. Among the fishes muscle examined (Table 4), the highest mean total chromium, total lead and total cadmium were found at the Stolephorus comersonii 8.5444 mg/kg, 6.0822 mg/kg, 1.9044 mg/kg, respectively. Among the macroinvertebrates examined, the highest mean total chromium, total lead and total cadmium were found at the Mercenaria sp. at 9.5452 mg/kg, 7.3833 mg/kg, and 1.7214 mg/kg, respectively. Seven species of fish obtained in the study site namely Hyporhamphus dussumieri , Liza sp., Scomberoides tala, Selaroides leptolepis, Sphyraena qenie, Stolephorus commersonii and Terapon jarbua exceeded the Brazilian regulatory limit of chromium at 0.1 mg/kg and the permissible limit of lead at 0.4 mg/kg [7]. While 191 Journal of Applied Sciences in Environmental Sanitation, 4 (3): 187-195.


six fish species namely Hyporhamphus dussumieri , Liza sp., Scomberoides tala, Selaroides leptolepis, Stolephorus commersonii and Terapon jarbua exceeded the permissible level of cadmium at 0.1 mg/kg [7]. Table 3: Comparison of mean total heavy metal concentration in the liver of different fish species collected from Las Piñas-Parañaque Lagoon, Manila Bay from September to November of 2007 Species Hyporhampus dussumieri Liza sp. Liza subviridis Mugil melinopterus Sardinella brachysoma Scomberoides tala Selaroides leptolepis Sphyraena qenie Stolephorus comersonii Terapon jarbua Standard permissible limits [7] Standard permissible limits (Brazilian Regulatory limit)

Cr (mg kg-1) 14.3179ab 1.7983a 0.0229 0.0287 0.0313 8.8670a 13.7288 a 2.6020a 11.2161a 3.8784a

Cd(mg kg-1) 1.7571a 0.5613a 0.1614 0.1373 0.1134 1.8838a 2.5458ab 0.7149 2.5032a 0.6188a

Pb(mg kg-1) 6.7357a 1.7829a 0.4333 0.3691 0.2302 6.9296a 9.6881ab 3.3360 a 8.8290a 2.3672a

0.1000

0.4000

0.1000

aMeasured bHighest

mean total heavy metal concentrations that exceeded the permitted level mean total concentration for each heavy metal

Table 4: Comparison of mean total heavy metal concentration in the muscle of different fish species collected from Las Piñas-Parañaque Lagoon from September to November of 2007 Species Hyporhampus dussumieri Liza sp. Liza subviridis Mugil melinopterus Sardinella brachysoma Scomberoides tala Selaroides leptolepis Sphyraena qenie Stolephorus comersonii Terapon jarbua Standard permissible limits [7] Standard permissible limits (Brazilian Regulatory limit)

Cr (mg kg-1) 1.1817a 0.4703a 0.0064 0.0139 0.0174 1.2839 1.5401a 0.4219a 8.5444ab 0.8859a

Cd(mg kg-1) 0.1684 0.0603 0.0170 0.0305 0.0672 0.1868 0.3458a 0.0558 1.9044ab 0.0925

Pb(mg kg-1) 1.0192 a 0.7000 0.0382 0.0786 0.1842 1.0025 a 1.3666a 0.2885 6.0822ab 0.8410 a

0.1000

0.4000

0.1000

aMeasured bHighest




The total heavy metal concentrations observed among the macroinvertebrates varied among species. Among the macroinvertebrates examined (Table 5), only the Mercenaria sp. exceeded the Brazilian regulatory limit for chromium at 0.1 mg/kg and the permissible limit of lead at 0.4 mg/kg [7]. Both the Mercenaria sp. and the Scylla serrata were above the permissible limit for cadmium at 0.1 mg/kg [7]. The gills of the crab samples (Table 6), Scylla serrata and Portunus pelagicus were examined for possible heavy metal accumulation of total cadmium, total chromium and total lead. The highest total cadmium, and total lead concentrations in the gills of the crabs examined were those of the Portunus pelagicus while the highest total chromium concentrations in the gills of Scylla serrata was observed. All the gills observed were way below the standard permissible limit of 0.1 mg Cr/kg, 0.4 mg Pb/kg, and 0.1 mg Cd/kg. Table 5: Comparison of mean total heavy metal concentration in the muscle of different macroinvertebrate species collected from Las Piñas-Parañaque Lagoon, Manila Bay from September to November of 2007 Species Portunus pelagicus Mercenaria sp. Peneaus sp. Scylla serrata Standard permissible limits [7] Standard permissible limits (Brazilian Regulatory limit)

Cr (mg kg-1) 0.0188 9.5452ab 0.0299 0.0241

Cd(mg kg-1) 0.0954 1.7214ab 0.1031 0.2228 a

Pb(mg kg-1) 0.1989 7.3833ab 0.3448 0.3780

0.1000

0.4000

0.1000

aMeasured bHighest


Table 6: Comparison of total mean heavy metal accumulation in the gills of two macroinvertebrate species collected from Las Piñas-Parañaque Lagoon from September to November of 2007 Species Cr (mg kg-1) Portunus pelagicus 0.0192 0.0262b Scylla serrata b Highest mean total concentration for each heavy metal

Cd(mg kg-1) 0.1360 b 0.1005

Pb(mg kg-1) 0.3266b 0.1606

This was a cross-sectional study and its scope is limited to assessing the heavy metals total cadmium, total chromium and total lead in the waters, fishes and macroinvertebrates obtained at the coastal lagoon of Manila Bay during the periods of investigation. This study has likewise showed that the different tissues of the fish and macroinvertebrates examined have different capacities of accumulating heavy metals. The lengths were not correlated with their heavy metal accumulations since a previous study [8] indicated that there is no significant relationship between the lengths and the heavy metal accumulations.



The highest heavy metal concentrations among the tissues were observed in the liver as compared to the muscle. The heavy metal concentrations in the muscle are important, because this is the most commonly consumed part in fish species. The magnitude of heavy metal accumulation is generally low in the muscles because most likely this is where the metabolic activity is relatively less [9]. A study [10] supports the findings of the study where the muscle tissues of the fish species are generally lower in trace metal content as compared to the liver tissue. The accumulation of the heavy metals total cadmium, total chromium and total lead patterns in the fishes and macroinvertebrates examined may be attributed to the organisms’ uptake and elimination rates [11] and in the differences in the physiological role of each organ [12]. According to a study [12], the heavy metal bioaccumulation in the aquatic organism may be species-dependent. It is likely that the absorptive differences that occurred between species in this investigation may be attributed to the differences in the absorptive capabilities among animals and the animals’ anatomic considerations [13]. It is also likely that the different bioaccumulation of heavy metals in the studied species is resistant to them and their organs to the pollutant [14]. CONCLUSION Results of the study showed considerable amounts of heavy metals total cadmium, total chromium and total lead in the water and the different fish and macroinvertebrate species. The presence of heavy metals in the waters of the coastal lagoon of Manila Bay may be attributed to the local point sources and the direct deposition of heavy metals from air pollution. The heavy metals in the water increase the potential for heavy metals to accumulate in the aquatic organisms as these pollutants enter the fish and macroinvertebrates through several routes. The liver of the different fish species examined had the highest accumulation of heavy metals as compared to the muscle tissue in the different fish species examined. The accumulation of heavy metals in the muscle was relatively low and is below the normal standards for the corresponding heavy metals concentrations in fishes. The findings of the study showed that there are some aquatic organisms that are heavily contaminated with heavy metals while there are also those that showed below normal standard allowable concentrations for the heavy metals studied. The observed variation in the levels of heavy metals accumulation in the different organs can be attributed to differences in the physiological role of each organ and the variation in the heavy metals in the fish and macroinvertebrate species examined and this study shows that the heavy metal bioaccumulation is species-dependent. Acknowledgement: We would like to express our sincerest gratitude to all who have assisted and supported this study. References 1. Dacanay, B. 2007. Arroyo restricts manila Bay reclamation. Accessed on July 1, 2007 at http://archive.gulfnews.com/world/Philippines/10120683.html 2. DENR, PEMSEA-Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Partners in Environmental Management for Southeast Asia. Initial valuation of selected uses and habitats and damage assessment of Manila Bay. Accessed on February 2006 at www.emb.gov.ph/mbemp/mb_ervmb.htm



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Assessing Heavy Metals in the Waters, Fish and Macroinvertebrates in Manila Bay, Philippines

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