title: Transfer, distribution and bioaccumulation of microcystins in the aquatic food web in Lake Taihu, China, with potential risks to human health.
abstract: In this paper, accumulation and distribution of microcystins (MCs) was examined monthly in six species of fish with different trophic levels in Meiliang Bay, Lake Taihu, China, from June to November 2005. Microcystins were analyzed by liquid chromatography electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS). Average recoveries of spiked fish samples were 67.7% for MC-RR, 85.3% for MC-YR, and 88.6% for MC-LR. The MCs (MC-RR+MC-YR+MC-LR) concentration in liver and gut content was highest in phytoplanktivorous fish, followed by omnivorous fish, and was lowest in carnivorous fish; while MCs concentration in muscle was highest in omnivorous fish, followed by phytoplanktivorous fish, and was lowest in carnivorous fish. This is the first study reporting MCs accumulation in the gonad of fish in field. The main uptake of MC-YR in fish seems to be through the gills from the dissolved MCs. The WHO limit for tolerable daily intake was exceeded only in common carp muscle.
authors.affiliation: Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology of China, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Dawen
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Yaqin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Tong
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Qiu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018533:Biomass; D002681:China; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005399:Fishes / Q000378:metabolism*; D020387:Food Chain; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008387:Marine Toxins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D052998:Microcystins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D046931:Microcystis / Q000254:growth & development; D018570:Risk Assessment; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization
chemical_list: D008387:Marine Toxins; D052998:Microcystins; C065685:microcystin YR; C063855:microcystin RR; C057862:cyanoginosin LR