Determination of physicochemical parameters and assessment of trace metals bioaccumulation in the Lagos lagoon and edible tissues of the southern pink shrimp (Farfantepenaeus notialis - Pérez-Farfante, 1967)

Abstract. Bio-inorganic chemistry is found as an endearing aspect to research in today’s epoch. It deals with chemical reactions between the metals with natural resources, such as air, soil, water and byproducts (foods). To assess the decline in the quality of southern pink shrimps and water quality on samples from the Lagos lagoon, the morphometric assessment of the crustacean (Farfantepenaeus notialis – F. notialis), physicochemical parameters (pH, temperature, salinity, conductivity, total hardness, total dissolved solids, total suspended solids, biological oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, dissolved oxygen, sulphates, nitrate and phosphate) and levels of six (6) trace metals (Cadmium, Chromium, Zinc, Iron, Manganese and Copper) were collected from three sampling points with renowned anthropogenic activities along the stretch of the Lagos Lagoon using standard analytical procedures and the results were compared with standard acceptable limits. The crustaceans used had total length (4.0 – 14.4 cm), carapace length (1.6 – 6.4 cm), total weight (1.1 – 20.8 g) and carapace weight (0.9 – 11.5 g). The results obtained in the physicochemical analysis revealed that a few parameters such as biochemical oxygen demand and total suspended solids were beyond acceptable limits, while the trace metals were present in the samples at different levels but still within the maximum residual levels in the edible tissues of the pink shrimps. The obtained results showed that the crustacean and water from the lagoon contained metals but did not exceed both local and international standards of limit and thus, they are still safe for consumption and domestic uses.