title: Trophic relationships and health risk assessments of trace metals in the aquaculture pond ecosystem of Pearl River Delta, China.
abstract: Cadmium, lead, zinc, Chromium, copper, nickel and manganese in sediments and in aquatic organisms were collected from the aquaculture pond ecosystem of the Pearl River Delta (PRD), China and analyzed to evaluate bioaccumulation and trophic transfer in food chains, as well as the potential health risk of exposure to the Hong Kong residents via dietary intake of these aquatic products. The results revealed that based on the biota-sediment accumulation factor, omnivorous fish and zooplankton accumulated more trace metals from sediment than carnivorous fish. Concentrations of seven trace metals in aquaculture pond of PRD significantly decreased with increasing trophic levels, showing that these trace metals were trophically diluted in predatory and omnivorous food chains. The hazard index values of all fish species were smaller than 1 for adults and children, indicating there was no health risk from the multiple metals via ingestion of the freshwater fish for the inhabitants.
authors.affiliation: Croucher Institute for Environmental Sciences, and Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, PR China.
authors.forename: Zhang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Yu Bon
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Man
authors.forename: Xiang Ping
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Nie
authors.forename: Ming Hung
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017756:Aquaculture; D002681:China; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005399:Fishes / Q000378:metabolism; D020387:Food Chain; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D008670:Metals; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical