EAS Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences Abbreviated Key Title: EAS J Nutr Food Sci ISSN: 2663-1873 (Print) & ISSN: 2663-7308 (Online) Published By East African Scholars Publisher, Kenya Volume-5 | Issue-5 | Sep-Oct; 2023 | DOI:10.36349/easjnfs.2023.v05i05.001 *Corresponding Author: Ezomoh O. Olubunmi 127 Department of Biochemistry, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State, Nigeria Original Research Article Evaluation of Heavy Metals in Catfish and Tilipia Fish from Bayelsa River Nigeria Ezomoh O. Olubunmi 1* , Ebizimor B. Tamarapreye 1 , Fredrick A. Kelvin 1 , Ebizimor Wodu 1 1 Department of Biochemistry, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State, Nigeria Article History Received: 13.08.2023 Accepted: 20.09.2023 Published: 23.09.2023 Journal homepage: https://www.easpublisher.com Quick Response Code Abstract: The volume of heavy metals in two different fish samples were examined in this report, dry ashing was adopted to digest the samples and the determination of the heavy metals were evaluated using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. from the analyzed sample the concentration of cadimium in all the samples analyzed were below WHO permissible limits which is 0.2 mg/kg, From the different analyzed samples the concentration of lead was below the WHO’s allowable limits which is 0.05 mg/kg, however, catfish and tilapia fish samples gotten from Amasomma have the highest concentration of lead 0.0042 ±0.0021 and 0.0030 ±0.001 respectively. The concentration of cadmium, Aluminium and Manganese are below WHO permissible limits for these heavy metals. Keyword: Catfish and Tilipia Fish, atomic absorption spectrophotometer, cadimium. Copyright © 2023 The Author(s): This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium for non-commercial use provided the original author and source are credited. INTRODUCTION The Aquatic ecosystems are among the top sources of pollution sinks. Water contamination is a consequence of social undertakings such as urbanization, industrialization, and agricultural practices. Fertilizers, pesticides, and sewage originating from household and commercial sources ultimately infiltrate aquatic ecosystems as a result of improper handling and application practices. Environmental contamination is one of the biggest problems facing modern society (Ali et al., 2019). The prevalence of environmental pollution is increasing due to rapidly expanding businesses, rising energy needs, and thoughtless loss of natural resources over the past few decades (Gautam et al., 2016). The soil and aquatic ecology are continually being exposed to a variety of harmful organic and inorganic chemicals from several anthropogenic and natural sources. Briffa et al., (2020) asserted that amongst these, heavy metals present the most significant ecological hazard owing to their toxic properties and knack to amass in the food chain. Heavy metals released into the environment from sources such as households, farms, factories, power plants, mines, and wastewater treatment facilities have the greatest impact on natural habitats. A study on this topic was recently published (Gheorghe et al., 2017). Heavy metals are those that have a higher density than water according to Fergusson (1990). If there is a correlation between mass and toxicity, then metalloids like arsenic, that can be deadly even at low doses, would also be considered heavy metals (Duffus, 2002). Recently, significant ecological and global public health concerns have been connected to environmental poisoning by these metals. Human exposure has also expanded dramatically because of the meteoric rise in their use across a wide variety of sectors and end uses, including manufacturing, agriculture, home goods, and technology (Bradl, 2002). Heavy metals have been found in the environment from a range of geological, industrial, atmospheric, agricultural, medicinal and household sources (He et al., 2005). Mines, foundries, smelters, and other industrial activities involving metals are major contributors to environmental contamination (He et al., 2005; Bradl, 2002; Fergusson, 1990). Aquatic life is particularly vulnerable to heavy metals since they can be ingested directly from the water or the soil. Fishes are primarily impacted because they are the main consumers of the aquatic ecosystem (Youssef & Tayel, 2004). According to Luo et al., (2014), heavy metal toxicity can occasionally harm fish