Baseline study to determine the presence of heavy metals in seawater of Thilafushi Island

Heavy metals are persistent pollutants that can be toxic when it exceeds certain levels in the body. Aquatic species can absorb heavy metals present in the water, and they get biomagnified. Thilafushi Island is where wastes are mainly managed in the Maldives. The waste piles are very close to the sea so the possibility exists for heavy metals to leach from the piles into the water. Maldivians highly depend on fish as a food source. If the metals are absorbed by the fish species, the locals will be exposed to tremendous levels upon consumption. So, it is important to prevent this by evaluating and monitoring the pollution status of the marine ecosystem. The study evaluated the presence of copper, zinc, and iron, and whether they exceed the permissible limits of the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. The metals are detected in the landfill area and the non-landfill area which served as the control. The concentrations of the metals detected are significantly lower compared to the WHO guidelines. However, this does not eliminate the problem of heavy metals as quantities not detected in the water samples might be present in the aquatic species. Therefore, further evaluation and monitoring is necessary.