Heavy Metal Contents in the Muscle Tissue of Capoeta trutta Fish
Species in Relation to Body Size and Sex
M. DÜŞÜKCAN
Fırat University, Keban Vocational School, Department of Fisheries, Keban, Turkey dusukcan@gmail.com
(Received: 20.01.2013; Accepted: 03.05.2013) Abstract
In this study, the levels of zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), arsenic (As), nickel (Ni), and mercury (Hg) levels in the muscle of Capoeta trutta (Heckel, 1843) from Atatürk Dam Lake (Turkey) were investigated. Only Fe, Cu and Zn were detected in the muscle tissues samples. Co, Cd, Cr, Pb, As, Ni and Hg were not found in detectable levels according to results obtained by ICP. The concentration of heavy metals showed differences according to weight, length, sex and age of fish. The results were discussed and compared with tolerable values for heavy metals provided from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to determine whether this species has any risk for human consumption.
Keywords: Capoeta trutta, heavy metals, Atatürk Dam Lake, Turkey
Capoeta trutta’nın Kas Dokusu Ağır Metal İçeriğinin, Vücut Büyüklüğü ve
Cinsiyete Bağlı Değişimi Özet
Bu çalışmada, Atatürk Baraj Gölü’nden elde edilen Capoeta trutta (Heckel, 1843)’un kas dokusundaki çinko (Zn), demir (Fe), bakır (Cu), kobalt (Co), cadmium (Cd), krom (Cr), kurşun (Pb), arsenik (As), nikel (Ni) ve civa (Hg) düzeyleri araştırıldı. Kas dokusunda yalnız Cu, Fe, Zn elementlerinin miktarları belirlendi. Co, Cd, Cr, Pb, As, Ni ve Hg elementlerinin miktarı ICP cihazının okuma duyarlılığının altında olduğundan belirlenemedi. Ağır metal konsantrasyonunun balığın ağırlık, uzunluk, cinsiyet ve yaşına bağlı olarak değişiklik gösterdiği belirlendi. Bu türün insanlar tarafından tüketilmesinin herhangi bir risk taşıyıp taşımadığı EPA ve FAO tarafından önerilen kabul edilebilir değerler ile karşılaştırılarak tartışıldı.
Anahtar kelimeler: Ağır metal, Capoeta trutta, Atatürk Baraj Gölü, Türkiye
1. Introduction
Environmental risk assessment and water quality management are becoming increasingly important issues, particularly in view of the large number of contaminants entering the aquatic environment that are harmful to the functioning of an ecosystem [1]. Among environmental pollutants, metals are of particular concern, due to their potential toxic effect and ability to bioaccumulation in aquatic ecosystems [2].
Heavy metals are trace metals that are at least five times denser than water. As a result, they are stable, thus cannot be metabolized by the body and are therefore bio-accumulative.
Most heavy metals have no beneficial functions to the body and can be highly toxic [3]. Metals are non-biodegradable and are considered as
major environmental pollutants causing
cytotoxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic effects in animals [4]. Heavy metals have long been recognized as serious pollutants of the aquatic environment. They cause serious impairment in metabolic, physiological and structural systems when present in high concentrations in the milieu. Heavy metals may affect organisms directly by accumulating in their body or indirectly by transferring to the next trophic level of the food chain. One of the most serious results of their persistence is biological amplification
92 through the food chain [5]. Aquatic organisms have the ability to accumulate heavy metals from various sources including sediments, soil erosion and runoff, air depositions of dust and aerosol, and discharges of waste water. Therefore, accumulation of heavy metals in aquatic organisms can pose a long lasting effect on biogeochemical cycling in the ecosphere [4]. Trace metal concentrations tested in stationary fish was used as an environmental indicator in water areas affected by human activities and as a monitoring technique for assessing the efficiency of control measures [6].
The metals like Zn, Cu, Fe and Mn are required for metabolic activities in organisms, lies in the narrow "window" between their essentiality and toxicity. Other heavy metals like Cd, Hg, Cr and Pb may exhibit extreme toxicity even at low levels under certain conditions, thus necessitating regular monitoring of sensitive aquatic environments [1].
Atatürk Dam Lake on the Euphrates River (Turkey) the largest dam lake of Turkey Besides the dense population, industry and agriculture also developed around this lake; and therefore, the contamination of Atatürk Dam Lake increased in recent years. The probable pollution is important either for Turkey or for Syria and Iraq due to the route of Euphrates River [7]. The present study was aimed to determine some heavy metal levels in muscle tissues of Capoeta trutta from Atatürk Dam Lake.
2. Material and Methods
2.1. Site Description
Atatürk Dam Lake, on the Euphrates River, is the largest dam lake in Turkey, and is used for irrigation and electrical energy production. The surface areas and total water deposits of the dam lake are, respectively, about 81700 hectares of surface area, 48.700.000.000 m3 and it is the largest dam lake of Turkey (Fig. 1).
2.2. Reagents and Apparatus
All reagents were of analytical reagent grade unless otherwise stated. Distilled water was used for the preparation of solutions. All the plastic and glassware were cleaned by soaking, with
contact, overnight 0.1 N nitric acid solution and then rinsed with distilled water prior to use. HNO3 used for digestion are supplied by Merck. The concentrations of copper, iron, zinc, cadmium, cobalt, nickel, lead, mercury, arsenic, calcium and magnesium were determined by ICP (Perkin Elmer Optima 5300 DV).
Figure 1. Sampling locations in the Atatürk Dam Lake, Turkey [8]
2.3. Fish Collection and Analyses
The concentrations of minerals were measured in the muscles, gills, skin, liver, gonads and kidneys of fish captured by gill net in the open water of the Atatürk Dam Lake (Turkey). Then, captured fish were placed in plastic bags and immediately transported to the laboratory in a freezer bag with ice. Total length and weight of each fish was measured to the nearest millimeter and gram before dissection, and then approximately 3 g of the muscle (cleaned from skin), samples were dissected from a total of 30 Capoeta trutta. After they were individually transferred to 4mL glass vials previously washed with 0.1 N nitric acid, dried, and weighed, they were dried in an oven for 24 hours at 105ºC and kept in a desiccator for a few days until constant weight was obtained. Vials were again weighed to obtain dry weight of tissues, and then samples were digested (duplicate digestion, in each case) on a hot plate by adding 2 mL pf Suprapure nitric acid (65%, Merck, Whitehouse Station, New Jersey). Digested samples were kept at room temperature
Keban Dam Lake
Ataturk Dam Lake Karakaya
93 for 24 hours and then diluted to 50 mL with double distilled water. Standard solutions for calibration graphs were prepared. Blanks were also prepared using the procedure as above, but without the samples. Diluted samples and blank solutions were analyzed by ICP (Perkin Elmer Optima 5300 DV) for determination of zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), arsenic (As), nickel (Ni), and mercury (Hg) levels [9].
2.2. Statistical Analyses
Graphpad Prisim 5.0 package programs were used to get the statistical analysis (t-test and One Way ANOVA Duncan) and graph of the data obtained during the research.
3. Results
Only Cu, Fe and Zn were detected in the muscle tissues samples (Fig. 2). Co, Cd, Cr, Pb,
As, Ni and Hg were found to be undetectable levels in the muscle samples.
In this study, the order in relation to the concentration of heavy metal in the muscle is found as Zn >Fe> Cu. Positive relationship between heavy metal accumulation in muscle and fish size was observed (Fig. 3, 4). The concentration rates of all elements determined in C. trutta muscle tissues differs according to the weight and this shows that heavy metal accumulation level changes according to the weight groups. The lowest level of concentration of all elements in the muscles of C. trutta is found in 90-199 g weight groups. When length is taken in to account the lowest concentration of all elements for C. trutta is found in 200-299 mm length group. As a result it is found that the all elements accumulation in the muscle of C. trutta changes according to the length groups. The relationship were found between fish weight heavy metal levels (P<0.05).
Figure 2. Box-Whisker diagram dissemination of some heavy metals concentration in muscle of C. trutta.
Cu 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 m g /k g mg/kg Min. 0.120 25% 0.240 Md. 0.280 75% 0.350 Max. 0.480 Fe 0 5 10 15 m g /k g mg/kg Min. 5.020 25% 6.840 Md. 8.080 75% 8.680 Max. 10.540 Zn 0 5 10 15 m g /k g mg/kg Min. 6.000 25% 9.000 Md. 10.380 75% 11.090 Max. 12.410
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Figure 3. Some trace metals in muscle tissue of C. trutta fish species in relation to fish weight and lenght.
Figure 4. Some trace metals in muscle tissue of C. trutta fish species in relation to fish lenght.
Figure 5. Some trace metals in muscle tissue of C. trutta fish species in relation to fish sex
99-19 9 20 0-399 40 0-599 60 0-799 80 0-999 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 Cu Weight (g) m g /k g 99-19 9 20 0-399 40 0-599 60 0-799 80 0-999 0 5 10 15 Fe Weight (g) m g /k g 99-1 99 20 0-399 40 0-599 60 0-799 80 0-999 0 5 10 15 Zn Weight (g) m g /k g 200 -29 9 300 -39 9 400 -49 9 500 -59 9 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 Cu Lenght (mm) m g /k g 20 0-299 30 0-399 40 0-499 50 0-599 0 5 10 15 Fe Lenght (mm) m g /k g 20 0-299 30 0-399 40 0-499 50 0-599 6 8 10 12 14 Zn Lenght (mm) m g /k g Mal e Femal e 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 Cu m g /k g Mal e Femal e 0 5 10 15 Fe m g /k g Mal e Femal e 6 8 10 12 14 Zn m g /k g
95 The effect of fish sex on the level of the tested metals was also examined (Fig. 5). Although the concentration of all metals analysed in muscle tissue of female fish were found to be higher than those of male fish, all tested heavy metal levels were not statistically significant (P>0.05).
When the accumulation levels of all elements between female and male C. trutta caught in Atatürk Dam Lake were compared, all elements were found in higher levels in muscle tissues of female C. trutta.
4. Discussion
In this study, the order in relation to the concentration of heavy metal in the muscle is found as Zn >Fe> Cu. In a research about the Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Cd, Cr and Pb accumulation in the organs and tissues of C. umbla which lives in Lake Hazar, the order of these heavy metals in relation to their concentration in muscle is found as Zn>Fe>Cu>Mn [10]. In a research about the accumulation of Cd, Cu, Mo, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn in the gill, liver and muscle of Cyprinion macrostomus in Atatürk Dam Lake, the order in relation to the concentration of these heavy metals in the muscle is found as Zn>Fe>Cu>Mn. In the search about the accumulation of heavy metals Fe, Zn and Cd in the muscles of mirror carp (Cyprinus carpio L., 1758) and zander (Stizostedion lucioperca L., 1758) caught in Seyhan Dam Lake the order of the heavy metal concentration is found as Fe>Zn>Cd [11]. Findings in these researches support the findings in this study.
Positive relationship between heavy metal accumulation in muscle and fish size was observed. The heavy metal levels in muscle tissue showed a rather similar pattern in relation to fish length. Generally the level of all metals analysed increased with fish size [10]. The concentration of Cu, Fe, Zn and Mn in the tissues and organs of C. umbla were found changeable according to the weight groups. Searches on the accumulation of heavy metals shows that
accumulation level may change according to the weight of the fish [10,12-14].
In this study the concentration of all metals in muscle tissue of female fish were found to be higher than those of male fish. The concentration of some heavy metals in the muscles of Lethrinus lentjan [6] found out that Cu. Zn and Cd concentration is more in female fish compared to the male fish.
Table 1 shows the concentration levels of heavy metals in some fish species examined by some researches and heavy metal concentration determined in the muscle of C. trutta in this study. As it can be seen in Table 1 the rate of heavy metal concentration determined by [15-17] in some fish species is higher when compared to the rate found in this study
These results clearly show that accumulation levels of heavy metals in their tissues and the organs change according to the habitat and
species of the fish. The heavy metal
accumulation level in organisms are much higher than the level of changes in the environment and concentrations are changeable according to the type and the concentration of the metal, water quality, species of the organism, season, age and nutrition type [19-21].
It is found that heavy metals are hazardous for the aquatic ecosystems especially for the Cyprinid species which are nourished in deep water. As a result it is determined that these species are more contaminated when compared to the predator fish [22].
These differences in the results may come from the features of the terrestrial environment, industrial, domestic and agricultural facilities. Because of the contamination of water directly or indirectly by the wastes, rise of the heavy metal concentration level is inevitable [7, 23, 24].
Our results show that heavy metal levels in the muscle samples taken from C. trutta from Atatürk Dam Lake were under the dangerous limits given by EPA [25] and FAO [26]. So there is no any risk for public health by eating C. trutta (Table 2).
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Table 1. Some heavy metal concentrations (mg/kg) determined in the muscle tissue of C. trutta and some fish species
Cu Fe Zn
The present study
C. trutta 0.12-0.48 5.02-10.54 6.00-12.41
Canpolat and Calta [15]
C. umbla 3.51 18.13 46.59 Karadede et al.[7] Liza abu Silurus triostegus 1.36 4.27 6.88 6.38 7.74 10.94 Calta and Canpolat[16]
Acanthobrama marmid Cyprinus carpio Chondrostoma regium 3.18 2.83 3.13 9.31 19.02 22.51 13.28 27.87 38.66 Olgunoğlu and Olgunoğlu[17]
Barbus grypus Silurus triostegus 1.08 <0.10 8.49 <0.38 10.84 7.79 Kanayochukwu et al.[18] Oreochromis niloticus Tilapia zilli Serathrodon niloticus Clarias gariepinus Ethmaliosa timbriata 0.80 1.97 2.84 18.01 6.20 1.41 1.04 3.80 10.80 1.85
Table 2. Heavy metal concentration in the muscle tissue of C. trutta and acceptable values suggested by EPA and FAO Heavy metals Cu Fe Zn Cr Cd EPA25 (mg/g) 54 410 410 4.1 1.4 FAO26 (mg/kg) 10.0 - 150 - 0.2 C. trutta (mg/kg) 0.12-0.48 5.02-10.54 6.00-12.41 * * *: not detectable 5. References
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