Attached
Toxic cyanobacteria Microcystis aeruginosa produce bio active compounds of Microcystin in water
bodies. Serious health hazards were recorded in fauna and flora due to accumulation of MC-LR.
Environmentally exposed O. niloticus random samples were collected from Beira Lake in mid of March;
rich in scum. In vitro sampling was done separately using Beira Lake water. Water samples from the lake
were added to the in vitro samples. The array of MC-LR accumulation was quantified using HPLC (High
Performance Liquid Chromatography) and ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay. MC-LR in
edible fish parts were higher than the tolerable daily intake limit. Highest and the lowest ranged between
1.657±0.01 and 0.018±0.01 μg/kg *103
. Boiling even at 1000C did not degrade MC-LR. The mean bio
accumulation factors ranged in between 1.103 and 0.006. The health risk assessed and the accumulation
status predicted a positive relationship. Therefore, preventing from the intake of contaminated fish
species would be much better for health.
