Human health implications of arsenic levels in a tropical open lagoon

Heavy metal contamination of coastal lagoon poses a major environmental and human health concern. High levels of arsenic encountered in marine fish are predominantly in the nontoxic arsenobetaine form (De Gieter et al., 2002, Baeyens et al., 2009). The accumulation of heavy metals including arsenic (As) in the tissues and membranes of marine organisms depends on the exposure pathway and diet. The Lagos lagoon, a tropical estuarine ecosystem and habitat for a wide array of fisheries resources has been subjected to different anthropogenic pressures by virtue of its position. One of the main environmental concerns in this region is pollution by toxic metals which have been reported as disrupting the state of ecological equilibrium and the diversity of fisheries resources. (Don-Pedro et al., 2004; Chukwu, 2006a; Ajagbe et al., 2012). As long as human-induced generation of toxic trace metals persists, evaluation of the levels and the associated risk in aquatic ecosystems, particularly in species that serves as food to man is pertinent. (author)