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Bioaccumulation of Metals in Cultured Carp (Cyprinus carpio) from Lake Chapala, Mexico

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Abstract

Chapala, the largest lake in Mexico, has a great potential for aquaculture and a community of some 2500 fishermen who are interested in this activity. However, diverse reports over the past two decades suggest that the fish there are contaminated with heavy metals, raising concern among consumers. Although more recent scientific studies have clarified that the metal content in the edible parts of fish is below allowable limits, the negative perception persists. The present study, therefore, was designed to evaluate the bioaccumulation of the metals Cu, Zn, Pb, As, and Cd in organs such as the muscles, liver, and gills of carp (Cyprinus carpio) cultured in Lake Chapala, and compared the results to fish cultured in a pond. Results after 473 days of monitoring showed that metal bioaccumulation in the muscles of the carp increased by 1.71, 0.50, and 12.36 μg/kg for Cu, Cd, and Pb, respectively, but Zn and As levels decreased by 7.84 and 131.7 μg/kg, respectively. The livers showed concentrations one or two times higher than the muscles in the case of Pb, Cu, Zn, and Cd. According to these results, the metal concentrations in the edible parts of these fish were below international standards for human consumption, and no significant differences were found between the bioaccumulation patterns in the muscles and livers of the carp cultured in the lake and those raised in the pond, except for Cd and Pb in the liver. Finally, no correlations were found between metal concentrations in the fish and lake sediments.

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Abbreviations

Cu:

Copper

Zn:

Zinc

Cd:

Cadmium

Pb:

Lead

As:

Arsenic

Hg:

Mercury

Exp:

Experimental group in Lake Chapala

Ctr:

Control group in inland pond

LOD:

Limits of detection

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Funding

This study received financial support from Mexico’s National Science and Technology Council (CONACYT) through project number 216110.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unidad de Tecnología Alimentaria, Centro de Investigación y Asistencia en Tecnología y Diseño del Estado de Jalisco, A.C., Camino Arenero 1227, El Bajío Arenal, CP 45019, Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico

    Claudia Alvarado & Diego Cortez-Valladolid

  2. Unidad de Servicios Analíticos y Metrológicos, Centro de Investigación y Asistencia en Tecnología y Diseño del Estado de Jalisco, A.C, Normalistas 800, Colinas de la Normal, CP 44270, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

    Jose Martín Ramírez & Gerardo Ramírez

  3. Unidad de Biotecnología Industrial, Centro de Investigación y Asistencia en Tecnología y Diseño del Estado de Jalisco, A.C., Camino Arenero 1227, El Bajío Arenal, CP 45019, Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico

    Enrique J. Herrera-López

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  1. Claudia Alvarado
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  2. Jose Martín Ramírez
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  3. Enrique J. Herrera-López
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  4. Diego Cortez-Valladolid
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Correspondence to Claudia Alvarado.

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Alvarado, C., Ramírez, J.M., Herrera-López, E.J. et al. Bioaccumulation of Metals in Cultured Carp (Cyprinus carpio) from Lake Chapala, Mexico. Biol Trace Elem Res 195, 226–238 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-019-01845-w

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