The dam of Hammam Debagh considered to be an artificial lake, is considered as the most important resource for drinking water, irrigation and fishing in the wilaya of Guelma. Being subjected to a strong agricultural anthropization and domestic, this site was the subject of a study of four months as of January 2017, with two companions per month, where we were interested in the bioaccumulation of the trace metals (Zn, Cu, Fe, Cd and Cr) in different organs (heart, muscle, liver, gonads, and kidneys) in three species of fish (common barbel, common bream and pikeperch).
The sampling was carried out in eight sites: two of which are chosen downstream, in the vicinity of the dike. two others, upstream, located near the entrance to the wadi Bouhamdane, main artery of the dam, while on both banks, the left bank and the right bank, two points are distributed on each of them. It’s here. The fish specimens are dissected and the organs are removed, dried, mineralized and assayed by Perkin Elmer Analyst 400 flame atomic absorption spectrometry (SAA). The results obtained revealed contaminations in fish examined at different levels. The strongest are Zinc, copper, and iron, while the lowest concentrations are cadmium and chromium.
Thus, the statistical processing by Excel statistica ANOVA two-factor software (species and organs) did not record any significant difference between the three species and also no other significant difference in their organs (P> 0.05) by iron, copper, cadmium and zinc. The only significant difference between the three species was recorded by the chromium metal (P <0.05) and no significant difference in their organs (P> 0.05). Levels of concentrations of the trace metals reflect a certain contamination of them of the dam. However, the results of the study seem reassuring with regard to the consumption of these three species of fish, the most captured in the dam.
Key words: Hammam Debagh’s Dam, Heavy Metals, Fish, Atomic Absorption, Organs. Pollution.