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Heavy metal (Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb, Zn) concentrations in seven fish species in relation to fish size and location along the Yangtze River

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Abstract

Purpose

The objective of this paper is to assess the regulation of the accumulation of heavy metals in the aquatic environment and different fish species.

Methods

Water and fish samples were collected from upper to lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The heavy metal (Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb, Zn) concentrations in the muscle tissue of seven fishes were measured. Additionally, the relationships between heavy metal concentrations in fish tissue and fish size (length and weight), condition factor, water layer distribution, and trophic level were investigated.

Results

Metal concentrations (milligrams per kilogram wet weight) were found to be distributed differently among different fish species. The highest concentrations of Cu (1.22 mg/kg) and Zn (7.55 mg/kg) were measured in Pelteobagrus fulvidraco, the highest concentrations of Cd (0.115 mg/kg) and Hg (0.0304 mg/kg) were measured in Silurus asotus, and the highest concentrations of Pb (0.811 mg/kg) and Cr (0.239 mg/kg) were measured in Carassius auratus and Cyprinus carpio. A positive relationship was found between fish size and metal level in most cases. The variance of the relationships may be the result of differences in habitat, swimming behavior, and metabolic activity. In this study, fishes living in the lower water layer and river bottom had higher metals concentrations than in upper and middle layers. Benthic carnivorous and euryphagous fish had higher metals concentrations than phytoplankton and herbivorous fish. Generally, fish caught from the lower reach had higher metals concentrations than those from the upper reach.

Conclusions

Cadmium and lead concentrations in several fishes exceeded the permissible food consumption limits, this should be considered to be an important warning signal.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 50939001 and No. 50909006) and the Research Fund of the State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control (11K03ESPCN).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China

    Yu-Jun Yi

  2. State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China

    Yu-Jun Yi

  3. Renewable Energy School, North China Electric Power University, Beijing, 102206, China

    Shang-Hong Zhang

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  1. Yu-Jun Yi
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  2. Shang-Hong Zhang
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Correspondence to Yu-Jun Yi.

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Responsible editor: Stuart Simpson

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Yi, YJ., Zhang, SH. Heavy metal (Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb, Zn) concentrations in seven fish species in relation to fish size and location along the Yangtze River. Environ Sci Pollut Res 19, 3989–3996 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-012-0840-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-012-0840-1

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