Bioaccumulation of heavy metals in fish and Ardeid at Pearl River Estuary, China.
Sediment, fish (tilapia, Oreochromis mossambicus and snakehead, Channa asiatica), eggs and eggshells of Little Egrets (Egretta garzetta) and Chinese Pond Herons (Ardeola bacchus) were collected from Mai Po Ramsar site of Hong Kong, as well as from wetlands in the Gu Cheng County, Shang Hu County and Dafeng Milu National Nature Reserve of Jiangsu Province, China between 2004 and 2007 (n=3-9). Concentrations of six heavy metals were analyzed, based on inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Significant bioaccumulations of Cd (BAF: 165-1271 percent) were observed in the muscle and viscera of large tilapia and snakehead, suggesting potential health risks to the two bird species, as the fishes are the main preys of waterbirds. Significant (p<0.01) linear relationships were obtained between concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Pb and Zn in the eggs and eggshells of various Ardeid species, and these regression models were used to extrapolate the heavy metal concentrations in the Ardeid eggs of Mai Po. Extrapolated concentrations are consistent with data in the available literature, and advocate the potential use of these models as a non-invasive sampling method for predicting heavy metal contamination in Ardeid eggs.
Croucher Institute for Environmental Sciences, and Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China; Joint Open Laboratory on "Soil and Environment" of Hong Kong Baptist University and Institute of Soil Science of Nanjing, PR China.
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CK
Kwok
Croucher Institute for Environmental Sciences, and Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China; Joint Open Laboratory on "Soil and Environment" of Hong Kong Baptist University and Institute of Soil Science of Nanjing, PR China. Electronic address: yliang@hkbu.edu.hk.
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Y
Liang
Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ISSAS), Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China; Joint Open Laboratory on "Soil and Environment" of Hong Kong Baptist University and Institute of Soil Science of Nanjing, PR China.
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Wang
Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ISSAS), Nanjing, Jiangsu, PR China; Joint Open Laboratory on "Soil and Environment" of Hong Kong Baptist University and Institute of Soil Science of Nanjing, PR China.
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YH
Dong
Croucher Institute for Environmental Sciences, and Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China.
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SY
Leung
Croucher Institute for Environmental Sciences, and Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China; Department of Science and Environmental Studies, Hong Kong Institute of Education, Hong Kong, China; Joint Open Laboratory on "Soil and Environment" of Hong Kong Baptist University and Institute of Soil Science of Nanjing, PR China. Electronic address: minghwong@ied.edu.hk.
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MH
Wong
D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000378:metabolism*; D049628:Body Size; D002681:China; D004528:Egg Shell / Q000737:chemistry; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D063366:Estuaries; D005399:Fishes / Q000378:metabolism*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry; D006723:Hong Kong; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D009132:Muscles / Q000737:chemistry; D010063:Ovum / Q000737:chemistry; D017210:Tilapia / Q000378:metabolism; D014781:Viscera / Q000737:chemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
D019216:Metals, Heavy; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
Ardeid; Bioaccumulation; Bioaccumulation factor; Eggshell; Heavy metals; Mai Po