Afifa, Sehr; Qazi, Adnan Ahmad (2026): Sediment-to-tissue bioaccumulation factors and predator:detritivore concentration ratios for heavy metals at four Indus Basin barrages, Punjab, Pakistan [dataset]. PANGAEA, https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.997465

This dataset reports sediment-to-tissue bioaccumulation factors (BAF) and predator:detritivore concentration ratios (PD) for copper, cadmium, iron, lead, and arsenic in liver and dorsal muscle, calculated separately for each tissue, at four barrages on the Indus Basin river system in Punjab, Pakistan - Head Sulemanki, Taunsa Barrage, Head Punjnad, and Head Islam - sampled on 27 June 2026. BAF is the species-mean tissue concentration (wet mass) divided by the total sediment concentration (dry weight) at the same site; because the two are on different weight bases, these are concentration ratios rather than dry-weight- or organic-carbon-normalised BSAFs. PD is the piscivore Wallago attu concentration divided by the benthic detritivore Cirrhinus mrigala concentration at the same site and tissue, and replaces the source thesis's "trophic transfer factor" terminology: no stable-isotope or diet data exist to validate a trophic-position-based transfer factor, so the ratio is reported as a species contrast rather than as evidence of biomagnification. With one pooled specimen per species per site, no confidence interval can be attached to any value. Arsenic-based BAF and PD values are provisional: sediment arsenic concentrations (0.09–0.54 µg/g) lie one to two orders of magnitude below typical Indus/crustal background, and this low denominator drives the unusually large arsenic ratios; these should be confirmed against the original AAS worksheet before further use. All values are derived from the companion sediment and fish-tissue datasets in this collection and are reported as static figures, not live formulas. This dataset is derived from "Heavy Metal Speciation in Riverbed Sediments and Trophic Transfer to Benthic Fish at Selected Barrages of Punjab", a thesis by Afifa Sehr (24-CUVAS-0082), Cholistan University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Bahawalpur, Pakistan (2026); original laboratory instrument files were not available for deposition.

Notes: DERIVED (BAF = tissue mean / sediment total at same site; PD = W.attu/C.mrigala at same site+tissue). Static values computed from the sediment and fish-tissue datasets, not live formulas. No CI possible, n=1 pooled specimen per species per site. Arsenic BAF/PD values are provisional — driven by a very low sediment arsenic denominator (0.09–0.54 µg/g, 1–2 orders of magnitude below typical Indus/crustal background); confirm against the original AAS worksheet. 'BAF' here is unnormalised tissue/sediment, not TOC-normalised BSAF.