A Preliminary Estimate of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons in Water and Some Commercially Important Fish Species in the Amba Estuary, West Coast of India

Amba Estuary, which receives effluent from several industries including a petrochemical complex, opens to the southern limits of the Mumbai Harbor. The study was conducted to find out the level of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPHs) in water and their bioconcentration in ten commercially important fishes from Amba Estuary during different months. In water high concentration of TPHs (39.7 mu g/L) was obtained during December (middle of estuary) and minimum value (7.2 mu g/L) was observed in September (lower estuarine). The maximum concentration of TPHs was found to be in Trichiurus savala (3.2 A mu g/g) during December and minimum in Boleophthalmus sp (0.4 A mu g/g) during May. Irrespective of the monthly variations, TPHs accumulation in all the species was considerably lower than hazardous levels. Although there was no statistical significance between TPHs and total length/weight, the T. savala recording maximum concentration during all months and it can be used as indicator of hydrocarbon pollution in this region.