Heavy metal and trace element bioaccumulation in target tissues of four edible fish species from the Danube River (Serbia).
Pikeperch (Sander lucioperca), European catfish (Silurus glanis), burbot (Lota lota), and common carp (Cyprinus carpio) were collected from the Danube River (Belgrade section, Serbia), and samples of liver, muscle, and gills were analyzed for Al, As, B, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Se, Sr, and Zn using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) to highlight the importance of species and tissue selection in monitoring research, contaminant studies, and human health research. The Kruskal-Wallis test revealed significant differences between fish species in regard to metal levels in liver, muscle, and gills. The principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that the studied fish species could be grouped on the basis of the level of analyzed elements in liver and gills. The Mann-Whitney test showed two subsets (one comprising two piscivorous species, pikeperch and catfish, and the other, two polyphagous species, burbot and carp) in regard to Cr and Hg levels in liver (higher levels in piscivorous species), as well as B, Fe, and Hg in gills (B and Fe with higher levels in polyphagous and Hg in piscivorous species), and As in muscle (higher levels in polyphagous species). Carp had distinctly higher levels of Cd, Cu, and Zn in liver in comparison to other three species. None of the elements exceeded the maximum acceptable concentrations (MAC). However, since Hg levels are close to the prescribed MAC levels, the consumption of these fishes can be potentially hazardous for humans.
University of Belgrade, Faculty of Biology, Studentski trg 16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia. Electronic address: srdjan.subotic@yahoo.com.
Srđan
S
Subotić
Slađana
S
Spasić
Zeljka
Z
Višnjić-Jeftić
Aleksandar
A
Hegediš
Jasmina
J
Krpo-Ćetković
Branislav
B
Mićković
Stefan
S
Skorić
Mirjana
M
Lenhardt
D000818:Animals; D002347:Carps / Q000378:metabolism; D002397:Catfishes / Q000378:metabolism; D005399:Fishes / Q000378:metabolism*; D048388:Gadiformes / Q000378:metabolism; D005880:Gills / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D009132:Muscles / Q000737:chemistry; D010473:Perciformes / Q000378:metabolism; D045483:Rivers; D055771:Serbia; D013045:Species Specificity; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism
D019216:Metals, Heavy; D014131:Trace Elements; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
Bioaccumulation; Fish consumption; ICP-OES; Large river; Polyphagous fish; Predatory fish