Heavy metal concentrations in fish tissues from the northeast Mediterranean Sea

• Published in: Bulletin of environmental contamination and toxicology Vol. 63; no. 5; pp. 673 - 681
• Main Authors: Kalay, M, Ay, O, Canli, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Springer-Verlag 01.11.1999; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agnatha. Pisces; animal tissues; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Caranx; Caranx crysos; contaminants; distribution; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Effects of pollution and side effects of pesticides on vertebrates; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gills - chemistry; Gills - metabolism; heavy metals; Industrial Waste - analysis; Liver - chemistry; Liver - metabolism; Marine; marine environment; Mediterranean region; Mediterranean Sea; Mediterranean Sea, Northeast; Metals, Heavy - analysis; Metals, Heavy - metabolism; Mugil cephalus; Mullus; Mullus barbatus; Muscle, Skeletal - chemistry; Muscle, Skeletal - metabolism; Perciformes - metabolism; Tissue Distribution; Turkey; Turkey, Iskenderun; Turkey, Iskenderun Bay; Turkey, Karatas; Turkey, Mersin; Water Pollutants, Chemical - metabolism; Turkey (country); Mediterranean Sea; Turkey; Asia; East Mediterranean; MED, Eastern Mediterranean; MED, Turkey, Adana; MED, Turkey, Hatay; MED, Turkey, Adana, Karatas Bay; MED, Turkey, Icel, Mersin; MED, Turkey, Iskenderun Bay; Marine environment; Tissue; Vertebrata; Gill; Pisces; Liver; Mugil cephalus; Muscle; Biological accumulation; Heavy metal
• ISSN: 0007-4861; 1432-0800
• DOI: 10.1007/s001289901033

The aim of this study is to determine heavy metal (Cd, Pb, Cu, Cr, Ni, Zn and Fe) concentrations in the muscle, gill and liver of fishes (Mugil cephalus, Mullus barbatus, Caranx crysos) from three stations (Mersin, Karatas and Iskenderun Bay) in the northeast Mediterranean Sea. These areas are industrial and agricultural regions of Turkey and receive many untreated waste waters by direct inputs and inputs via rivers. Iskenderun is an industrialised city containing a big steel plant (station 1). Mersin is also an industrialised city with 500,000 population (station 3). These two cities also contain big harbours. However, Karatas is a little town and does not have many industrial plants in its vicinity (station 2). The animals chosen here are very important food supplies for Mediterranean peoples and also represent different ecological habitats and different feeding behaviours. Thus, this study was conducted to determine the levels of heavy metal distribution among tissues from various animals. Also it was intended to investigate the potential for an overload of heavy metals in the food chain of humans.