Overview
This study examined potentially harmful elements (PHEs) in wild and farmed Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) from Winam Gulf, Lake Victoria, Kenya, alongside water and sediment measurements, as part of a broader biogeochemical and food-security assessment of the lake system. Cadmium, chromium, and lead concentrations in fish tissue exceeded provisional maximum tolerable intake (PMTI) thresholds established by regulatory agencies, raising concerns about consumption safety for local populations dependent on the lake’s fishery.
Key numbers
Metals measured in fish tissue: As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Al, Ni, Zn by ICP-MS. Cd, Cr, and Pb in fish samples exceeded PMTI thresholds. Specific concentrations reported in the paper’s tables (wet weight basis, fish muscle/tissue). Water collected 2018-2019 from Winam Gulf sampling sites. Both wild-caught and aquaculture tilapia samples included, allowing comparison between production systems. Al, Ni, and tAs also reported but at lower concern levels relative to PMTI comparators.
Methods (brief)
ICP-MS analysis of fish tissue (muscle), water, and sediment. Sampling from Winam Gulf / Lake Victoria, Kenya, 2018-2019. Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is the dominant commercial species. Comparison of measured concentrations against PMTI-based benchmarks for human health risk assessment. Wet weight basis reported for fish tissue.
Implications
Certification: Nile tilapia from sub-Saharan freshwater systems shows Cd, Cr, and Pb exceedances of PMTI thresholds; relevant context for geographic origin flags in supply-chain assessments. Courses: Documents aquaculture vs. wild-catch comparison in a heavily utilized East African lake system. App: Supports geographic risk flagging for tilapia originating from heavily impacted East African freshwater systems.
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Update history
The five most recent substantive edits to this page, classified major (evidence or structure moved), correction (a published value or statement was wrong and has been fixed), or minor (narrative rewritten without changing the underlying evidence). Each description is derived from what the edit did to this page; the linked commit is the authoritative record, routine regeneration passes are excluded, and the full version history lives in git. When DOI minting comes online (see schema docs), each entry below will also link to a version-pinned DataCite DOI.
| Commit | Date | Change | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| a8052bb | 2026-08-09 | major | 6 sections added; narrative text revised |