Heavy metals accumulation in muscles of Psettodes erumei in Boushehr waters

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Veterinary Medicine, Higher Education Institute of Applied Science Technology of Jihad-Agriculture, Tehran, Iran

2 Department of Food Health and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Karaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran

3 Department of Toxicology-Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran

4 Department of Fisheries and Aquatics, Higher Education Institute of Applied Science & Technology of Jihad-Agriculture, Tehran, Iran

5 Graduated of Master degree in Food sciences and Industries, Khouzestan Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran

Abstract

Heavy metals may accumulate in aquatic animals’ organs and tissues such as liver, kidney, gills and muscles. As fish muscle palys a role in human nutrition, its health is important. The risk of heavy metal toxicities differs in each water resource and animal species. Toxicity of these metals is higher in soft waters compared to hard waters.In the present study, 44  specimens of Psettodes erumei were randomly collected from Boushehr’s waters. Then 100 grams of pectoral muscle of each fish were dissected and prepared for atomic absorption measurement. The amounts of four heavy metals including Lead, Cadmium, Zinc and Chromium were measured as microgram per kilogram (ppb).In the present study, the maximum amount  of measured heavy metals was belonged to Zinc (138.5 ppb) and the minimum to Chromium (30 ppb). The highest / lowest levels of  each metals in fish muscles  were as follow: Lead 0.124 / 0.037, Cadmium 0.090 / 0.019, Zinc 0.208 / 0.034 and Chromium 0.054 / 0.013 ppm  and all were in safe range of World Health Organization limits.

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