Abstract
Trace metals were examined in the muscle tissue of flatfish species of flounder, Platichthys flesus (Linnaeus, 1758), sediments from two southern Baltic Sea sites (Gdańsk Bay and Ustecko-Łebskie as a reference) and in two areas of the Portuguese Atlantic coast (Douro River estuary and Atlantic fishing ground as a reference) to evaluate spatial differences in trace metals. Additionally, the accumulation of trace metals in flounder of different length classes was assessed. Flounder from the Gdańsk Bay area contained twofold more cupper (Cu), lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg) than did flounder from the Douro River estuary, but zinc (Zn) and cadmium (Cd) were at similar concentrations. The sediments from Gdańsk Bay contained significantly more Zn and threefold more Cd, while concentrations of Cu and Pb were twofold lower. The concentrations of metals in the sediments did not correlate with those in the flounder. Spatial differences were noted in metal concentrations in flounder from the southern Baltic Sea and the Portuguese Atlantic coast as well as within these regions, with higher concentrations in the flounder from the Baltic Sea Gdańsk Bay. The flounder in length class 25–30 cm from Gdańsk Bay contained metal concentrations comparable to those of class 40–45 cm specimens from the Atlantic coast. The accumulation of metals in flounder length classes differed in the two regions.
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Acknowledgments
This work was conducted in the framework of a bilateral cooperation project between Poland and Portugal in 2011–2012. The cost of acquiring the fish sampled in Portugal was partially supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the COMPETE—Operational Competitiveness Programme and by the Portuguese national funds through FCT—Foundation for Science and Technology, under the project PEst-C/MAR/LA0015/2011. The author would like to thank J. Kopecka-Pilarczyk, H. Santos, O. Martinez, R. Branco and A. Gora for sampling the fish and to P. Reis for collecting sediment samples from the Portuguese sampling sites.
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Polak-Juszczak, L. Trace metals in flounder, Platichthys flesus (Linnaeus, 1758), and sediments from the Baltic Sea and the Portuguese Atlantic coast. Environ Sci Pollut Res 20, 7424–7432 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-013-1762-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-013-1762-2