Survey of Heavy Metals (Cd, Pb, Cu and Zn) Contamination in Muscle tissue of Esox luciusn from Anzali International Wetland, Accumulation and Risk Assessment.

Background and purpose: Aquatic ecosystems pollution with heavy metals, have always been a major concern for aquatic organisms and human health. Contaminants such as heavy metals get accumulated along the food chain and then transmitted to human body. Levels of contaminants in fish are of particular interest because of the potential risk to humans consuming them. This paper examines the levels of cadmium, lead, zinc and copper in muscle tissue of Esox lucius from the Anzali international wetland and compared them whit human health standards. Materials and methods: In this study 26 Pike perch (Esox lucius) were collected from the wetland by multimesh gill nets in September 2010. After sampeles digestion with concentrated nitric acid, they were analyzed for Pb in a graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometer and for Cd, Cu, and Zn in a flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Results: Mean concentration of Cd, Pb, Cu and Zn were 0.82 ± 0.06, 0.22 ± 0.02, 5.68 ± 0.31, 54.26 ± 0.87 (µg/g dry weight) respectively. Data analysis showed that no significant correlation exist between Pb, Cu and Zn concentrations with body weight and length but a significant negative correlation observed between Cd concentration with body weight and body length. Conclusion: The levels of Zn, Cu and Pb was below than the established limits by WHO, FAO, and EPA but levels of Cd was exceeded than the limits of WHO and EPA standards. These results can be a warning for consumers of these fish, especially vulnerable people. Daily intake calculation showed that a meal consumption of this fish per week no prohibition for an adult consumer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]