A baseline study of mercury in fish and sediments in the Niger delta area of Nigeria

Abstract

The baseline levels of mercury in fish and sediments from the Niger delta area of Nigeria have been examined. The measured concentrations in fish varied from less than 10 μg kg⁻¹ to 410 μg kg⁻¹ wet weight and those in the sediments varied between 0·024 and 1·54 μg g⁻¹ dry weight. The levels found in the samples from this area were generally low in comparison with levels found in other regions of the world and the 0·5 μg g⁻¹ Hg in fish recommended for human consumption by the World Health Organisation. These results indicate that the Niger delta area of Nigeria is relatively unpolluted with mercury.