Studies were carried out for possible bioaccumulation of the following heavy metals; Pb, As, Cd, Cr, Hg, Ni, V and Cu in the internal parts (kidney, liver, gizzard and muscle) of twenty seven (27) local and exotic chickens raised within Enugu metropolis after wet digestion of samples and subsequent use of atomic absorption spectrometer. All the selected heavy metals were found to be present in the studied parts of the chickens although at concentrations within their respective established permissible limits for meats consumption. The internal organs of experimental chickens accumulated heavy metals in the following increasing order: liver > kidney > gizzard > muscle. Except vanadium, the concentrations of all other metals in the studied parts of the chickens showed significance at p < 0.05 from the anova analysis. The mean concentrations of Pb, Cd and Hg were very much higher in the kidney and liver the chickens than other studied metals. The experimental chickens accumulated heavy metals in the following increasing order: local chicken > layer chicken > broiler chickens.
Keywords: Bioaccumulation, Chickens, Heavy Metals, Kidney, Liver
