Research Article
Trace Metals and Nutritional Composition of Alestes dentex from the Ibeshe River, Ikorodu, Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria
Issue:
Volume 11, Issue 2, June 2026
Pages:
19-30
Received:
23 April 2026
Accepted:
7 May 2026
Published:
21 May 2026
DOI:
10.11648/j.ijee.20261102.11
Downloads:
Views:
Abstract: This study presents a comprehensive assessment of the safety and nutritional quality of the commercially important fish species, Alestes dentex, from the Ibeshe River, a water body receiving urban and industrial effluents in Ikorodu Division of Lagos State, Nigeria. Over an eight-week monitoring period, we analyzed the river's water quality, the bioaccumulation of thirteen trace metals in fish tissues, and the proximate composition of the fish. The proximate analysis revealed significant temporal variation in crude protein (F(7,16)=4.82, p<0.01), with values ranging from 14.72% to 19.08%. Mineral analysis identified magnesium as the most variable macromineral (660.52-2926.74 mg/100g), while zinc exhibited the highest overall variability (CV=85.0%). A coordinated ionic perturbation at Week 5 (Mg↓, Na↑, K↓) suggested acute osmoregulatory disturbance. Heavy metal concentrations remained within FAO/WHO safety limits throughout the study (Cd: 0.001-0.020 mg/100g; Pb: 0.002-0.010 mg/100g), although arsenic was detected for the first time at Week 8 (0.03 mg/100g). Correlation analysis revealed significant positive associations between calcium and iron (r=0.82, p<0.01) and negative correlations between sodium and potassium (r=-0.79, p<0.05). The findings establish critical baseline data for nutritional assessment and food safety monitoring, confirming that A. dentex from Ibeshe River remains safe for human consumption while highlighting the need for continued temporal surveillance.
Abstract: This study presents a comprehensive assessment of the safety and nutritional quality of the commercially important fish species, Alestes dentex, from the Ibeshe River, a water body receiving urban and industrial effluents in Ikorodu Division of Lagos State, Nigeria. Over an eight-week monitoring period, we analyzed the river's water quality, the bi...
Show More
,
Babajide Elijah Faleti
