Heavy Metals in Fish Tissues and Different Species of Fish From the Southern Coast of Taiwan

Abstract

Heavy metal contents varied with different species of demersal fishes (such as Megalops cyprinoides, Pseudorhombus dupliciocellatus, Sillago sihama, Acanthopagrus australis, Terapon jarbua, Acanthopagrus latus, Cephalopholis miniata, Lutjanus bohar, Scarus forsteni, and Siganus guttotus) and pelagic fishes (Sphyraena jello and Sphyraena forsteri) caught from the southwestern (Erhjin Chi, a seriously polluted area) and southeastern (Green Island, a relatively unpolluted area) coast of Taiwan in August of 1997 and February of 1998. the orders of heavy metal concentrations (dry weight) in demersal fishes were: copper (over 100 μg g−1), T.jarbua ≫ A. australis > M. cyprinoides > P. dupliciocellatus; zinc (over 500 μg g−1), L. bohar > T. jarbua > P. dupliciocellatus > S. sihama; lead (over 4 μg g−1), P. dupliciocellatus > S. guttotus; nickel (over 5 μg g−1), S. guttotus > S. sihama; chromium (over 20 μg g−1), P. dupliciocellatus > L. bohar > T. jarbua; arsenic (over 1 μg g−1), A. australis > M. cyprinoides; tin (over 3 μg g−1), L. bohar. for the pelagic fishes, high values of nickel and chromium were found in S. jello. Higher concentrations of heavy metals were generally observed in livers compared with those in gills, guts, eggs and flesh of demersal fish. Significant correlations were also obtained between heavy metal contents in fish and fish livers. the seasonal and regional variations as well as their impact on sedimentary heavy metal concentrations are evaluated and discussed.