Bioconcentration of vanadium in American flagfish over one reproductive cycle

Abstract

Flagfish ( Jordanetta floridae Goode and Bean) were exposed to constant concentrations of vanadium (V) in the water from age 10 days to maturity, and second-generation fish were continued in the same concentrations to age 30 days. Residues of vanadium were directly related to exposure concentrations but bioconcentration factors were inversely related to them. Both residues and bioconcentration factors increased with exposure time up to 70 days, after which they remained stable to the end of exposure at 96 days. Residues and bioconcentration factors did not differ significantly between first- and second-generation fish, nor between males and females. Adults accumulated 21–29 μg V g −1 (whole body dry weight) during exposure to 0.48 or 1.50 mg V 1 −1. These residues were significantly higher than values of 15–17.5, 4.4–4.8, and 0.27–0.54 μg V 1 −1, found after exposure to 0.17, 0.041 mg V 1 −1, and control conditions, respectively. Residues for these two lowest concentrations and control were significantly different from each other. Bioconcentration factors were 2.0–28 × two or three orders of magnitude lower than the factors for cadmium and zinc in the same species of fish, as determined by other investigators. The bioconcentration factors appeared, in fact, to be at the low end of the range found for metals, and danger to fish from bioaccumulation of vanadium was accordingly judged to be low.