author(s)
PKDKB Wijeratne and Pathmalal M Manage

abstract
Toxic cyanobacteria Microcystis aeruginosa produce bio active compounds of Microcystin in water bodies. Serious health hazards were recorded in fauna and flora due to accumulation of MC-LR. Environmentally exposed O. niloticus random samples were collected from Beira Lake in mid of March; rich in scum. In vitro sampling was done separately using Beira Lake water. Water samples from the lake were added to the in vitro samples. The array of MC-LR accumulation was quantified using HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography) and ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay. MC-LR in edible fish parts were higher than the tolerable daily intake limit. Highest and the lowest ranged between 1.657±0.01 and 0.018±0.01 μg/kg *10³. Boiling even at 100⁰C did not degrade MC-LR. The mean bio accumulation factors ranged in between 1.103 and 0.006. The health risk assessed and the accumulation status predicted a positive relationship. Therefore, preventing from the intake of contaminated fish species would be much better for health.