Trace Metal Dynamics in Marine Shrimps from the Southwest Coast of India

Abstract

Concentrations of Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb in the muscle tissue of marine shrimps, Penaeus mondon, Penaeus japonicus, Penaeus indicus, Penaeus mergniensis, Parapenaeopsis hardwickii and Parapenaeopsis stylifera, collected from the continental shelf waters off Kochi on southwest coast of India were determined. Inter species-specific tissue metals loads were appreciable within the Penaeid shrimps for the region. The ranges of higher concentrations of Fe (756.8 to 1288.5 mg/g), Co (8.8 to 18.6 mg/g), Ni (12.8 to 24.7 mg/g), Cu (32.8 to 46.8 mg/g), Zn (52.6 to 88.7 mg/g), Cd (5.8 to 9.6 mg/g), and Pb (0.8 to 1.9 mg/g) were observed in P. mondon, P. japonicus, P. indicus, P. mergniensis, and P. hardwickii characterized with an estuarine-sea life history when compared with the lowest concentrations of Fe (725.8 mg/g), Co (8.5 mg/g), Ni (10.6 mg/g), Cu (28.6 mg/g), Zn (44.8 mg/g), Cd (3.6 mg/g), and Pb (0.6 mg/g) found in P. stylifera with only a sea life history. This difference is possibly due to the favoring uptake of differently bioavailable metals from the associated food chain bioaccumulation processes within the estuarine and shelf waters off Kochi. The higher bioaccumulation factors 555867, 442857, 171528, 33621, 42933, 48731 and 4750 of the analyzed metals (Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd & Pb) in the shrimp species P. mondon compared with others will support ecologists to use it as a bioindicator for metal pollution.