Measurement of heavy metals contamination and the subsequent dysfunction of hepatopancreas in the brachyuran crab portunus pelagicus (linnaeus, 1758)

Females of Portunus pelagicuswere collected from shallow water of three localities in Arabian Gulf, Saudi Arabia namely Ad-Dammam, northern Khobar and southern estuarine beaches during October and November 2012 and June 2013. Three collections in the form of twenty females were chosen in each collection from each locality. Gill tissues and hepatopancreas were isolated and analysed for heavy metal accumulations. Each trail was made three times. The heavy metalsMn, Cd, Zn, Pb, Al, As, Ni, Cu, Fe, TBTwere determined using Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (Perkin-Elmer model 2300) under the recommended condition limits (DL) in the manual for each metal. At each location water samples were collected using polyethylene bottles (2-litres capacity). The polyethylene bottles were previously cleaned with detergent rinsed several times with distilled water. Soaked in in HCL for several days and finally rinsed with redistilled water. Results are presented as means and standard errors. This study concluded that crabs live in southern Khobar estuarinebeach contain percentage of heavy metals ≥ Saudi Arabian Standards whereas the crabs live thenorthern Khobar and Ad-dammam easuarine beaches contain percentage of heavy metals ≈ SaudiArabian Standards.GSH,AST, SOD, ALP and LDH activities were measured in hepatopancreas and commented. Data obtained were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) means signif. Different P > 0.05 or P < 0.05, column comparison test Df 2-10 and Tukey post hoc test. For all statistical tests, Bartlett's test for equal variances P value 0,5569 has been applied.