Heavy Metals in the Striped Snakehead Murrel Channa striata and Sediments of Lake Mainit Philippines with Notes on Piscine Micronuclei Occurrence

Lake Mainit is the deepest lake in Philippines, with sporadic documentation of various types aquatic pollution. This paper reports heavy metal content muscles striped snakehead murell Channa striata and bottom sediments from five stations across using quadrupole-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (Q-ICP-MS). The micronuclei (MN) formation erythrocytes C. was also assessed for potential genotoxicity. relative order average concentrations metals samples all Zn>Cu>Cr>Ni>As>Pb>Cd. As per international safety standards, fish muscle have exceeded permissible limits Cu, Ni, Zn, which has implications health risks humans consuming this important commodity. Cr>Ni>Cu>Zn>As>Pb>Cd, where Cr, Pb, Zn standards. MN assay revealed that 98% (N=147,000 RBCs) normal cell morphology. Of 2% erythrocytic nuclear alterations (ENAs), 55% are found to be fragmented-apoptotic cells, while 31% elongated or reshaped. MNs relatively minimal at 2%. While implies not risk genotoxic injury, present study calls seasonal monitoring other fishery resources Mainit.