Abstract
Sardine (Sardina pilchardus) is one of the most important species among Turkish fisheries and is broadly distributed along Turkey’s Saros Bay waters. In this study, the amount of heavy metal content of sardine, which is a fish abundantly consumed and caught in the Dardanelles has been determined between November and December of 2013. The effects of heavy metals, which are found especially in fisheries, on human health and on the environment arouse great interest. Toxic contaminants particularly such as lead, cadmium and mercury are found in the water as a result of industrial and agricultural activities and mining. The high concentration of these metals affects not only aquatic environments but also fish species negatively. In this research, the amount of heavy metal in two sardine samples (R1/R2) taken from Çanakkale fish market is analyzed. ICP-AES (Inductively Couple Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy) is used in the analysis for Zn, Cr, Cd, Pb, Fe, Cu, and Ni. According to the results obtained, the average heavy metal amount of the two samples are found at the levels: 47,81001 for Zn, 0,163543 for Cr, 0,047545 for Cd, ND for Pb, 19,60705 for Fe, 1,385225 for Cu and 0,174258 for Ni. Pb is below the limits of the detection of ICP device, and no figures have been obtained. Other obtained figures have been observed to be below the acceptable amount in comparison to the figures of EPA standards.
Highlights
Worldwide production of sardine is 965,431 tons/year (FAO, 2011), which makes, Sardine an important fish species of great economic importance to Turkey, as well as to many other countries (Finney et al, 2002, Moutopoulos, and Stergiou, 2002, Williams 2003)
Heavy metals like cadmium chromium, copper, iron, nickel, lead and zinc were analysed in the ICP-AES device
When the findings of heavy metal analysis on the sardine (Sardine pilchardus) samples which were caught around Çanakkale province, the following results were reached:
Summary
Worldwide production of sardine is 965,431 tons/year (FAO, 2011), which makes, Sardine an important fish species of great economic importance to Turkey, as well as to many other countries (Finney et al, 2002, Moutopoulos, and Stergiou, 2002, Williams 2003). Contaminating factors which upset the natural balance may be grouped as organic substances, industrial waste, petroleum products, artificial agricultural fertilizers, detergents, inorganic salts, artificial organic chemicals and waste heat. According to this classification, heavy metals are included in industrial waste and reach to a level that they threaten the natural balance. Industrial development, and environmental pollution which increases day by day all over the world threaten nature by accumulating ever-increasingly in earth, air and aquatic ecosystems. Contaminants which come into the marine environment through various ways affect the lives of living beings in the ecosystem negatively (Egemen and all., 1997). Heavy metals are one of the main toxic substances that pollute the natural environment
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