Heavy metal contaminants in tissues of the garfish, Belone belone L., 1761, and the bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix L., 1766, from Turkey waters

Elemental Composition and Health Risk Assessment of Deep-Sea Teleost's of the Levantine Basin

The determination of metal(loid) (As, Fe, Al, Sr, Zn, Pb, Mn, Cu, Cr, and Cd) levels in the muscle tissue of 23 different deep-sea bony fish sampled off Mersin Bay (NE Levantine Basin) and the assessment of health risks for human consumption were aimed. Tissue metal(loid) concentrations were determined as dry weight and analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The tissue metal(loid) concentrations (µg g dw) were converted to wet weight prior to health risk assessment calculations. Standard mathematical formulas were used to determine the health risk assessment. There was a statistically significant difference between the fish species in terms of tissue metal(loid) levels (p < 0.05). The highest metal(loid) level was found in C. sloani among other species. As and Fe had the highest and Cd the lowest tissue concentrations in the examined species (p < 0.05). The relationships between the metal(loid)s analyzed in the tissue were significant (p < 0.01;0.05). Fe had an antagonistic effect with Cd, while other metal(loid)s had a synergetic effect with each other. Risk assessment analyses were performed for the consumable species, and it was found that the estimated daily and weekly intakes were below the tolerable limits established by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The target hazard quotient (THQ) values exceeded the threshold of 1 (THQ > 1) only for As. The target cancer risk (TCR) was below the tolerable limits (> 10-5) except for As, Cd, and Al.

Total mercury and methylmercury in garfish (Belone belone) of different body weights, sizes, ages, and sexes

BACKGROUND

Garfish, (Belone belone) is a migratory pelagic fish that inhabits the waters of coastal Europe, North Africa, the North Sea, the Mediterranean Sea. Little information about garfish has been disseminated mainly because of its low abundance and its brief occurrence in various water bodies. Data is lacking on mercury compounds, particularly dangerous the toxic organic form of methylmercury (MeHg), which endangers the health of fish and their consumers.

METHODS

The research material was garfish caught off the southern Baltic Sea coast in Puck Bay during the spawning period. Total mercury (THg) content was assayed with the cold vapour atomic absorption method in an AMA 254 mercury analyser. The MeHg extraction procedure was based on three-step sequential extraction method: hydrolysis using of hydrochloric acid, extract by toluene, bind the MeHg by L-cysteine.

RESULTS

The concentrations of THg and MeHg was determined in the muscle of garfish. The highest concentrations of THg (0.210 mg kg-1) and MeHg (0154 mg kg-1) were detected in the longest specimens (80 cm). The THg and MeHg concentrations in garfish muscles increased with specimens length, weight and age, which was confirmed by positive correlations. Differences were also noted depending on sex. Males accumulated more THg and MeHg than did females. The mercury in garfish from the southern Baltic Sea occurred mainly in its organic form MeHg and accounted for 84.7% of the THg.

CONCLUSION

Significant differences were noted in mercury concentrations depends on length, weight, age and sex. Concentration of MeHg in garfish must be done by length class, and fish sex when selecting this fish for contamination studies and risk assessment. The toxic MeHg in garfish tissues did not pose a threat to the health of consumers, as indicated by the low values of EDI, TWI and THQ indices.

Metal Bioaccumulation in the Gill, Liver, and Muscle of Bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) From the Northeastern Mediterranean and Human Health Risk Assessment Associated with Their Seasonal Consumption

Heavy metals are continuously released into the oceans from both natural and anthropogenic sources. They are serious threats to both ecosystem and human health because of their toxicity, persistence, bioaccumulation, and biomagnification. We present metal concentrations in the economically important bluefish from Iskenderun Bay, providing valuable information on Northeastern Mediterranean aquatic ecosystem health, as well as the human health risk. The concentrations of manganese, iron, copper, zinc, selenium, cadmium, lead, and mercury were determined in the gill, liver, and muscle tissues of bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) caught in Iskenderun Bay (Turkey) during four seasons. Samples were analysed via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. Fe and Zn were detected in the highest concentrations during all four seasons. The ranges of Fe concentrations were 61.15-108.76, 229.78-377.02, and 6.35-8.63 and those of Zn were 25.21-44.25, 42.25-76.08, and 6.27-13.59 in the gills, livers, and muscles, respectively. In contrast, Hg and Cd were not found in the bluefish tissues in any season with the exception of Cd in the gills during the spring (0.757 mg/kg, above the legal limit of 0.5 mg/kg). On a seasonal basis, no meaningful accumulation trend was observed for the muscles or gills, while the highest concentrations of Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Se in the liver were found in the spring. Liver tissues possessed higher metal concentrations than gill and muscle tissues. Estimated daily and weekly intakes of the metals due to human consumption of the bluefish were considerably lower than the provisional tolerable intake. In this study, there was an inflow of metals into Iskenderun Bay; however, no significant metal accumulation was found in bluefish tissues at a rate that would harm human health.

Heavy metal accumulation in organs of Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758) from industrial effluent-polluted aquatic ecosystem in Lagos, Nigeria

The concentrations of four heavy metals (Zn, Fe, Cu, and Pb) in water, sediment, and tissues (gill, muscle, brain, and intestine) of Oreochromis niloticus from a segment of the Lagos Lagoon complex were monitored for 10 months (July 2012-April 2013) spanning wet and dry seasons. Three sampling stations were selected: Ologe Lagoon, the nearest to the point where effluent is discharged from Agbara Industrial Estate, the Owo River is upstream before the point of discharge of industrial effluent, and Etegbin is downstream. In most cases, the highest concentrations of heavy metal in fish tissues were recorded in samples obtained from Ologe Lagoon. The ranges of concentrations of heavy metals in the tissues of the fish were 4.06 ± 2.45-49.94 ± 13.11, 81.27 ± 28.52-2044.64 ± 554.77, 10.90 ± 7.69-41.10 ± 11.24, and 0.12 ± 0.07-1.81 ± 3.12 mg/kg for Zn, Fe, Cu, and Pb, respectively. There were significant negative correlations (lowest; r = -0.24, p < 0.01, n = 30; highest; r = -0.58, p < 0.01, n = 30) between fish tissue metal concentrations and size of fish from Ologe Lagoon. Also, significant positive correlations (lowest; r = 0.48, p < 0.05, n = 30; highest; r = 0.93, p < 0.01, n = 30) between concentrations of Cu in sediment and tissues of O. niloticus were observed. The concentrations of the metals in the tissues of O. niloticus have exceeded the limits recommended by WHO. The maximum safe daily consumption (MSDC) value of Fe in Ologe Lagoon was lower than the recommended average daily intake of fish for humans. This indicated that O. niloticus from Ologe Lagoon may not be safe for human consumption. Therefore, there is a need for regular monitoring of heavy metal in these water bodies and enforcement of existing laws on the treatment of effluent before they are discharged into aquatic ecosystems.

Review of heavy metal accumulation on aquatic environment in Northern East Mediterrenean Sea part I: some essential metals

All pollutants can reach the aquatic environments and the levels of heavy metals in upper members of the food web like fish can reach values many times higher than those found in aquatic environment or in sediments. Although heavy metals are essential or non-essential, all heavy metals are potentially harmful to humans and most organisms at some level of exposure and absorption. Marine organisms are good indicators for long-term monitoring of metal accumulation. The present review study is for evaluation of the data from previous studies about the toxic effects of selected heavy metals, like essential metals (copper, zinc, iron, chromium, and manganese), on seawater, sediment, and in different tissues of aquatic animals (demersal and bentic fish, invertabres) collected from different areas in Northern East Mediterrenean Sea since the 1990s. Some concern arose from previous studies, particularly in terms of safety for human consumption. For this purpose, 86 articles and 4 theses were examined and information was collected on the table to open a forward-looking view of the pollution of studied area. In previous studies, the variations in feeding habits, habitats, and the level of copper found in edible muscles of the demersal fish species (deep water fish species, carnivore) such as Mullus barbatus barbatus, Solea lascaris, Sparus aurata were always higher than those found in pelagic (omnivore) Mugil cephalus, Liza aurata. Results show discrepancies caused by many factors; thus, more work must be done carefully.

Comparison of metal levels in different tissues of seven ray species from Antalya Bay, Mediterranean Sea

The aim of this study was to investigate the metal concentrations in muscle, liver, gill and intestine of seven ray species from Antalya Bay. Because the study is the first for rays in Antalya Bay, this study provides valuable preliminary information about metal contents in different tissues of the examined ray species from the bay and indirectly indicates the environmental contamination of the Antalya Bay.

Analysis and Determination of Trace Metals (Nickel, Cadmium, Chromium, and Lead) in Tissues of Pampus argenteus and Platycephalus indicus in the Hara Reserve, Iran

The accumulations of Cd, Ni, Pb, and Cr were measured in muscle, gill, kidney, and liver of Platycephalus indicus and Pampus argenteus. Our results indicated that all metals were found to be the highest in tissues in P. indicus (benthic species). Except Ni in P. indicus, concentrations of metals and bioaccumulation factor were in the following sequence: liver > kidney > gill > muscle. The data revealed that there is a significant negative correlation between concentrations of metals and size and age factors. The Ni and Cr levels in the muscles were higher than the maximum acceptable limit recommended by WHO and FEPA. Similarly, the concentration of Pb measured in P. indicus muscle exceeded the FAO standard limit.

Assessment of heavy metal contamination in various tissues of six ray species from İskenderun Bay, northeastern Mediterranean Sea

This study was performed to investigate the heavy metal concentrations in muscle, liver, gill and intestine of six ray species from İskenderun Bay. The present study is the first for rays in İskenderun Bay, providing valuable preliminary information about heavy metal contents in different tissues of the examined ray species from the bay, and indirectly, indicating the environmental contamination of İskenderun Bay. Heavy metal levels in intestines were generally higher than those in other tissues for all species. Metal levels in ray muscle tissue were below the international maximum allowable levels for fish and fishery products, as well as Turkish national guidelines, with the exception of the highest value for Cd in Dasyatis pastinaca.

Metal concentrations in marine fishes collected from Hara biosphere in Iran

The metal levels (Hg, As, Cu, and Zn) in tissues of edible fish species (Pampus argenteus, Sillago sihama, Liza klunzingeri and Platycephalus indicus) were evaluated. The metal concentrations were found to follow the order: liver > kidney > gill > muscle, except for Zn from P. argenteus showing an inversion of liver and kidney. Generally, the benthic species (P. indicus and S. sihama) showed a marked potential for tolerating high metal levels. Significant negative correlations were found between fish size/age and metals concentration in the most organs. The element levels in the muscles were lower than the maximum allowable concentrations, except for mercury in S. sihama and P. indicus.

Comparison of metals in tissues of fish from Paradeniz Lagoon in the coastal area of northern east Mediterranean

Present study was performed to examined the metal concentrations in muscle, liver, gonad and gill of gilthead seabream, European seabass, Leaping mullet and Flathead grey mullet from Paradeniz Lagoon, Mediterranean coastal area. The metal concentrations found in muscle tissue varied for Fe: 2.3-51.4, Zn: 6.63-14.8, Cu: 0.38-1.10, Mn: 0.38-1.06, Cr: 0.34-1.13, Ni: 0.58-.074, Pb: 0.32-1.02, Cd: 0.20-0.67 and Co: 0.30-0.61 mg/kg wet weight. Iron showed the highest levels in all tissues, and generally followed by zinc. On the other hand, cadmium, cobalt and lead showed lower levels than other metals. Statistically significant differences were observed in the mean metal values obtained from investigated fish species and their tissues. The levels of metals in the examined fish were well below the regulatory values of various govermental agencies.

Comparison of metal concentrations in tissues of blue crab, Callinectes sapidus from Mediterranean Lagoons

This study was performed to investigate the metal concentrations in muscle and gill of blue crab, Callinectes sapidus from Dörtyol Lake, Akyatan Lagoon, Paradeniz Lagoon and Çamlık Lagoon from the northeastern coastal area of Mediterranean Sea. So, the levels of cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, manganese, nickel, aluminum and zinc in tissues of specimens from the lagoons were determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer. The metal concentrations found in muscle tissue varied for Cd: 0.03-0.08, Cr: 0.05-0.13, Cu: 5.38-11.7, Fe: 21.1-38.2, Mn: 0.15-2.98, Ni: 0.24-0.45, Zn: 13.9-20.1 and Al: 1.2-13.7 mg/kg wet weight. Iron showed the highest levels in both tissues, and generally followed by zinc except gills. On the other hand, cadmium showed the lowest levels from all sites. Followed cadmium; chromium had the second lowest levels. The differences between mean metal concentrations from different sampling sites were statistically significant. Regional changes in metal concentration were observed in the tissues of the crabs, but these variations may not influence consumption advisories.

Metals in tissues of fish from Yelkoma Lagoon, northeastern Mediterranean

This study was performed to investigate the metal concentrations in muscle, liver, gonad, and gill of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata L., 1758), European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax L., 1758), and keeled mullet (Liza carinata Valenciennes, 1836) from Yelkoma Lagoon, northeastern Mediterranean region. So, the levels of cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, manganese, nickel, lead, and zinc in tissues of specimens from the lagoon were determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer. Concentrations of metals in muscles of the examined species ranged from 0.10 to 0.47 mg kg(-1) for cadmium, 0.10 to 0.43 mg kg(-1) for cobalt, 0.17 to 0.72 mg kg(-1) for chromium, 0.62 to 1.03 mg kg(-1) for copper, 28.9 to 52.3 mg kg(-1) for iron, 0.75 to 0.96 mg kg(-1) for manganese, 0.11 to 0.57 mg kg(-1) for nickel, 0.19 to 0.47 mg kg(-1) for lead, and 6.01 to 13.9 mg kg(-1) for zinc, respectively. Additionally, metal concentrations in muscles of fish were assessed for human uses according to provisional tolerable weekly intake and provisional tolerable daily intake.