Lead In Fish Research Articles

Genotoxic evaluation of different doses of inorganic lead (PbII) in Hoplias malabaricus

Different genetic biomarkers have been used to evaluate the pollution effects of mutagenic agents such as metals and also a great variety of chemicals delivered on the environment by human activities. This way, the aim of the present report was to evaluate the effects of inorganic lead in fishes through the frequency of piscine micronuclei and nuclear morphological alterations in peripheral cells, chromosomal aberration frequency and comet assays in blood and kidney cells. Specimens of Hoplias malabaricus received different doses of lead by intra-peritoneal injections at time of 96 h. There was not a significant difference between control and treated groups for the piscine micronucleus and chromosomal aberration assays. In the comet assays there was a significant difference between control and contaminated groups. However, a significant difference between the applied doses was not observed. The results obtained with the comet assays also show that blood presented a higher sensibility than the kidney tissue, possibly due to the acute contamination. Although the results showed the genotoxic potential of lead at the 21 and 63 microg Pb(2 + )/g doses for both tissues, the lowest dose is considered more appropriate for future bioassays.

Accumulation of Heavy Metals in Freshwater Fish in Cage Aquaculture at Cirata Reservoir, West Java, Indonesia

Freshwater fish demand in West Java is supported by cage aquaculture in reservoirs. Cirata Reservoir is one of three cascading hydropower reservoirs built along the Citarum River that receives domestic and industrial wastes. Water pollution by heavy metals, such as copper and lead, increases the health risk of humans who consume the fish. The study was aimed to evaluate the concentration of copper and lead in fish, specifically on Cyprinus carpio, that are widely cultivated in the Cirata Reservoir. Two sizes of fish were collected from five sampling points around floating-cage area. The liver of the fish was found to contain the highest copper level, followed by gills, skin, and muscle. In contrast, lead was also high in the liver, followed by skin, gills, and the muscle, but the copper concentration found in the tissues studied was much higher (31.111 +/- 17.911 mg/kg dry wt) than the lead content (0.290 +/- 0.346 mg/kg dry wt). The concentration of metals in smaller fish was always higher than than that in bigger fish. The metals content was also compared to those in fish exposed in a semistatic laboratory-scale study using Oreochromis niloticus. After 28 days exposure with 0.01 mg Cu/L, fish accumulated 21.53 mg Cu/kg dry wt, whereas for Pb exposure of 0.016 mg/L, fish accumulated up to 7 mg/kg dry wt. However, estimates of Cu and Pb intake from C. carpio consumption were still below the average daily intake (ADI) limit. This study suggested that monitoring of water quality and heavy metals in cultured fish is important in protecting human health.

Levels of Copper, Zinc and Lead in Fishes of Mengabang Telipot River,Terengganu, Malaysia

Levels of Copper, Zinc and Lead in Fishes of Mengabang Telipot River,Terengganu, Malaysia

Effect of urban drainage on bioavailability of heavy metals in recipient

Heavy metals comprise one of the most hazardous groups of pollutants entering the aquatic environment. Their behaviour and ecotoxicological effects are not well understood especially if they are occur as a mix of metals. Drawing on data from three Prague creeks, the paper illustrates changes in heavy metals bioavailability resulting from different environmental conditions and related differences in urban drainage types. Heavy metals in sediment from creeks impacted by stormwater drain discharges are more bioavailable and accumulate in organisms to higher concentrations than in organisms from creeks affected by combined sewer overflows. The results also show that bioassay levels of lead in fish from the creeks exceed acceptable concentrations for human consumption (EC 466/2001) and therefore represent a potential health risk for humans. The results demonstrate the importance of providing improved interception efficiency in the drainage system structures. In particular, a higher level of interception of fine particles is critical, because of their higher metal adsorption capacity than for coarser particles.

Lead in clams and fish of dietary importance from Coatzacoalcos estuary (Gulf of Mexico), an industrialized tropical region

With the aim of knowing seasonal variability of lead in fish and bivalve species from Coatzacoalcos estuary, biota collected during three seasons was examined. In muscle tissue of fish, the highest level (5.4 microg g(-1)) was found in the longnose gar Lepisosteus osseus from San Francisco stream (a highly impacted site); the lowest value (0.2 microg g(-1)) was registered in yellowfin mojarra Gerres cinereus from Ostión lagoon (control site). In bivalves, concentrations in soft tissue ranged from 1.5 microg g(-1) in Polymesoda caroliniana from Calzadas river, to 0.1 microg g(-1) in Corbicula fluminea from Hidalgotitlán (control site).

Evaluation of using crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) as partial or complete replacement of fish meal protein in rearing the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus ) fry

An evaluation of using crayfish as partial or complete replacement of fish meal protein in Nile tilapia fry was conducted .The obtained results showed that, the best feed conversion was noticed in control group, which fed on fish meal (FM) without any replacements, followed by group II which treated with crayfish meal (TCFM) 50%, then group IV, which received treated crayfish meal (100%), then group I where the worst value of feed conversion was noticed in diet containing crayfish by-product (CFBM) 50% replacement. Body composition showed no significant difference between different experimental diets and the control one, except with (TCFM) 100% diet. Results of heavy metals analysis showed that fish of group II had the lowest concentrations of Cu, Cd, Pb, Fe and Zn than that in group I (CFM) and III (CFBM). On the other hand, it was noticed that the estimated levels of both cadmium and lead in fish of group II (TCFM) were lower than that of control group.

Initial interlaboratory validation of an analytical method for the determination of lead in canned tuna to be used for monitoring and regulatory purposes

The Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) Standard Method 972.23 (dry ashing and flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry (FAAS)), applied to the analysis of lead in tuna, was validated in three selected local laboratories to determine the acceptability of the method to both the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) and the European Union (EU) Commission for monitoring lead in canned tuna. Initial validation showed that the standard AOAC method as performed in the three participating laboratories cannot satisfy the Codex/EU proposed criteria for the method detection limit for monitoring lead in fish at the present regulation level of 0.5 mg kg−1. Modification of the standard method by chelation/concentration of the digest solution before FAAS analysis showed that the modified method has the potential to meet Codex/EU criteria on sensitivity, accuracy and precision at the specified regulation level.

Metal Levels in Seston and Marine Fish Flesh Near Industrial and Metropolitan Centres in South Australia

Port Pirie is the site of the largest lead smelter in the world, depositing 250 t of zinc, and 100 t of lead annually into Spencer Gulf. Barker Inlet is adjacent to metropolitan Adelaide, and receives unknown quantities of urban and industrial discharges. Both areas are sites of major commercial and recreational fisheries, contained within delicately balanced marine wetland ecosystems, comprising large areas of mangrove and seagrass habitats. Aldrichetta forsteri and Sillago schomburgkii are major species within these fisheries and as estuarine-dependent species were chosen for this study as indicator species for the detection and monitoring of pollutant impacts in the nearshore marine ecosystems of South Australia. Seston sediment collectors were deployed at each site and analysed seasonally for the presence of cadmium, lead and copper. Flesh samples from A. forsteri and S. schomburgkii were examined seasonally for the presence of cadmium, lead and copper and the results correlated with levels found in the seston sediment at each site. Metal concentrations were also correlated with a biomarker of genotoxicity measured in the same animals (micronuclei in erythrocytes) that were reported previously. Seston levels of cadmium, lead and copper were highest at Port Pirie, followed by Barker Inlet and were lowest at Wills Creek, with cadmium undetectable at the latter site. Metals in seston varied considerably with season, with generally higher levels in winter samples. In fish flesh, metal levels followed broadly similar trends as for seston. Spearman rank correlations between metals in seston and in flesh were strongly positive. There was also a significant correlation between flesh concentrations of each metal and the frequency of micronuclei in erythrocytes. This study has shown that seston concentration of pollutant metals are high in areas of industrial activity, and that these levels are also reflected in metal content of fish flesh. Mean flesh levels of cadmium and copper did not exceed Australian health based maximum permitted levels of fish for human consumption, whereas flesh levels of lead in fish from Port Pirie and Barker Inlet exceeded these standards in each of the seasons monitored. This may represent a significant dietary source of lead in humans, especially at Port Pirie where human lead exposure from terrestrial sources is important. There may also be the potential for accumulation of metals in residents of metropolitan Adelaide whose diets are high in fish (and/or crustaceans), particularly estuarine-dependent species, such as A. forsteri and S. schomburgkii. The study also showed that a non-specific biomarker of genotoxicity (micronuclei in erythrocytes) is potentially useful as a monitoring technique in fish species to evaluate their exposure and genotoxic responses to pollutants in South Australian waters. These data represent a snapshot of the current situation in this area and may act as background levels against which future improvements or decrements in water quality may be compared.

Cadmium and lead in fishes and in selected elements of the Świdwie Lake ecosystem

This paper provides information on the vertical distribution of cadmium and lead in the sediments, the amounts of the elements in the surface- and rain water, in selected fish organs, contents of their alimentary tracts, and in some plant species of the świdwie Lake ecosystem. The levels and distribution of the analysed metals in the lake sediments gave evidence of their anthropogenic origin. The distribution of cadmium and lead in the organs and alimentary tracts of fishes, and especially the low level of the elements in fishes and plants suggests that the metals are linked to the abiotic components of the lake environment and they are not easily accessible for the organisms. The best bio-indicators of the pollution-level with cadmium and lead in the lake ecosystem are: the rudd, Scardinius erythrophtalmus L. and the roots of cattail, Typha angustifolia.

Organic and inorganic arsenic and lead in fish from the South Adriatic Sea, Italy

Total, organic and inorganic arsenic and lead were measured from the muscle of different kinds of fish: skate (Raje spp.), hake (Merluccius merluccius) and blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou), caught in the South Adriatic Sea (South Italy) in the period June–August 1995. The highest levels of total arsenic were found in skate (Raje spp.) whose values ranged from 14.4 to 61.5mg/kg ww, followed by blue whiting (M. poutassou) and hake (M. merluccius) that showed lower levels ranging from 8.5 to 21.5mg/kg ww and from 5.9 to 16.1mg/kg ww, respectively. In all the species examined most of this element was present as organic compounds while inorganic arsenic was only a very modest percentage (0.47–3.5%) of the total arsenic present. Lead in all species analysed was at small concentrations with mean values ranging from 0.12 to 0.15mg/kg ww. According to the rules in force in Italy no samples showed concentrations of lead exceeding the peak value of 2 mg/kg.

Levels of cesium, mercury and lead in fish, and cesium in pond sediments in an inhabited region of the Ukraine near Chernobyl

Samples of crucian carp ( Carassius carassius) and sediments collected from 14 ponds within and outside the 30 km exclusion zone southeast of Chernobyl were analyzed for radiocesium; major anions and cations in water were determined for each pond, and other atmospherically- transported pollutants (Pb and Hg) were measured in fish muscle. Up to 20 sediment samples were collected from each pond. Median sediment radiocesium was ≤ 1 Bq g −1 dry mass in all ponds, but some samples contained up to 11 Bq g −1 dry mass. The distribution of radiocesium was very patchy, and could vary over 100% in samples collected a few meters apart. Fish muscle radiocesium ranged from below detection up to 8.2 Bq g −1 dry mass and varied significantly among ponds. All Carassius muscle analyzed contained detectable Hg (0.03 to 1.28 μg g −1 dry mass), and most contained detectable Pb (up to 1.76 μg g −1 dry mass). Water chemistry was a poor predictor of fish contaminant burden, possibly due to the extreme patchiness of the contaminant distribution. Fish size was correlated with muscle Cs content in some ponds, and negatively correlated with muscle Pb concentration. The distributions of radioactive and non-radioactive contaminants were not significantly correlated.

On-line microwave-assisted sample decomposition for lead determination in fish slurry samples by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

An on-line microwave-assisted decomposition procedure for the determination of lead in fish is proposed. 300 µL slurry and 400 µL of a 6 mol L-1 HNO3 solution were simultaneously injected, and the mixture was positioned inside a microwave oven. The decomposed sample inside the flushing solution was collected in the autosampler cup of a graphite furnace. The proposed procedure covered the 2.5 to 25 µg L-1 Pb range and presented a detection limit of 0.72 µg L-1 Pb. Precision expressed as RSD, was 10.5% (n = 20) for repeatability and 14.3% (n = 10) for reproducibility. Accuracy was assessed using standard reference material, and also by comparing the results to a nitric-perchloric decomposition procedure.

Bioavailability of lead from vitrified slagged aggregate

This study was conducted to determine the leachability of lead (Pb) from a vitrified slagged aggregate (VSA) into water, as well as the bioaccumulation of lead into specified tissues of sunfish ( Lepomis megalotis) maintained in aquaria containing VSA over a period of 100 days. The experiments consisted of solubility studies comparing the leaching or release of lead from 600 and 1200 g of VSA into aquaria. Over the course of the study, results indicate that relative to controls there occurred no leaching of lead from the VSA into the water. In addition, there was no apparent contribution of lead from the VSA with respect to bioaccumulation in the specified tissues of fish (gills, skeleton, skin and scales, muscle, and viscera). There was, however, a significant dose-dependent bioaccumulation of lead in fish housed in aquaria containing a soluble salt of lead (50 and 100 ppb lead as lead nitrate). These studies indicate that bioaccessibility is an important component in determining the ultimate bioavailability of lead.

Bioaccumulation of arsenic, chromium and lead in fish: constraints imposed by sediment geochemistry

Bioaccumulation of arsenic, chromium and lead in fish: constraints imposed by sediment geochemistry

Bioaccumulation of arsenic, chromium and lead in fish: constraints imposed by sediment geochemistry

Determining metal bioavailability is critical in assessing the necessity to remediate contaminated sediments. In the Halls Brook Holding Area Pond (HBHAP) sapropel, As (3000 mg/kg), and Cr (1400 mg/ kg), are sequestered by amorphous Fe(OH) 3 (Kd As=560; Kf Cr=59,0001/kg), while Pb solubility is limited by PbS (am). Fillet As concentrations in detritivorous and omnivorous fish were similar in the HBHAP (1.19 mg/kg), and the adjacent unimpacted Phillips Pond (1.18 mg/kg). Cr and Pb in both HBHAP and Phillips Pond fish were below analytical detection limits, except for one (0.73 mg/kj Pb), in the HBHAP. The low sediment bioaccumulation factors for As, Cr, and Pb (6.5 × 10 −4, < 1.1 × 10, and 1.8 × 10 −6, respectively in HBHAP) suggest that the sediment acts to sequester metals, rendering them non-bioavailable due to precipitation of solids, and sorption to iron phases.

Determination of lead in fish by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

A method is presented for the determination of lead in fish species based on electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry of tissues previously treated in a microwave acid digestion bomb. The samples were injected into a graphite tube provided with a L'vov platform. The concentrations of lead in fish ranged from 15.8 to 303.3 ng g −1.

Ionic alkyl‐lead, tetra‐alkyl‐lead and total lead in fish from the Great Lakes

AbstractFillets from a variety of fish species collected from Lakes Ontario, Superior and Erie, Canada, were examined for ionic alkyl‐lead, tetra‐alkyl‐lead and total lead compounds. Diphenylthiocarbazone (dithizone)‐derivatized extracts were collected at pH 8 and 9 for ionic alkyl‐leads from enzymatically hydrolyzed samples. Butylated derivatives were formed prior to analysis by gas chromatography‐atomic absorption spectrometry (GC AA). Tetra‐alkyl‐lead was extracted from the hydrolyzates with hexane.Most of the fillets contained low (&lt;0.08–2 ng g−1) levels of trimethyl‐lead. Several samples contained triethyl‐lead or tetraethyl‐lead. Dimethyl‐lead, diethyl‐lead and tetramethyl‐lead were detected by GC MS but were below the GC AA method detection limit of 0.06 ng g−1, 0.09 ng g−1 and 0.2 ng g−1 respectively. Total lead levels were between &lt;1.8 and 96.7 ng g−1.

Lead hydride generation in a lactic acid-potassium dichromate medium and its application to the determination of lead in fish, vegetable and drink samples

The effect of different acids on the efficiency of lead hydride generation in potassium dichromate oxidant medium was investigated and lactic acid-potassium dichromate was found to give optimum lead hydride generation. Various parameters affecting sensitivity and the influence of interfering ions were studied. The sensitivity of the method (0.44 ng) is greater than published values for ammonium peroxodisulphate-nitric acid (20.0 hg) and hydrogen peroxide-nitric acid (10.0 ng). This could be because lactic acid stabilizes the Pb(IV) metastable compounds more effectively, acting as intermediate species in lead hydride formation. The method was applied to the determination of lead in liquids (tap water and wine) and fish and vegetable samples. The liquids were analysed directly without preconcentration or mineralization and the solids after wet digestion or slurry formation; these two sample preparation methods gave similar results.

Evaluation of oxidant media for the determination of lead in food slurries by hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry

Several oxidant media were evaluated for the generation of lead hydride from slurry samples and their application to the determination of lead in vegetables and fish by hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry. Three oxidant - acid media were compared: hydrogen peroxide - nitric acid, ammonium persulphate - nitric acid and potassium dichromate - lactic acid. The powdered samples were suspended in Triton X-100 and shaken with 10.0 g of blown zirconia spheres until a slurry was formed. The potassium dichromate - lactic acid medium was the most satisfactory for the determination of lead in fish and vegetables, providing the lowest detection limits as a result of its high sensitivity and low blank values. The ammonium persulphate - nitric acid medium gave good accuracy, precision and selectivity for vegetables (1-2 p.p.m. of lead); however, with fish (0.1-1 p.p.m. of lead) it was only a semi-quantitative medium for the determination of lead owing to its lack of sensitivity and selectivity. The hydrogen peroxide - nitric acid medium was unsatisfactory for the generation of lead hydride from slurry samples because of decomposition of hydrogen peroxide by the organic matter in the sample.

Determination of lead in treated crayfish Procambarus clarkii: accumulation in different tissues.

The continual loading of trace metals into our environment represents a water pollution problem due to their toxic effects on aquatic biota. In addition, metal ions can be incorporated into food chains and concentrated by aquatic organisms to a level that affects their physiological state. There are several investigations on the toxic effects and bioaccumulation of lead in fishes, molluscs, and crustaceans. Lake Albufera (Valencia, Spain) and the surrounding rice-field waters are subjected to large loads of sewage and toxic industrial residues (including heavy metals) from many urban wastewaters in the area. In 1978, the American red crayfish Procambarus clarkii (Girard) appeared in Lake Albufera. The crayfish have reached a high density producing ecological and agricultural economic problems in rice crops. The crayfish is being fished commercially for human consumption without adequate protection to human health. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the accumulation of lead in tissues of the crayfish P. clarkii following short term lead exposure at several sublethal concentrations. The gills, midgut glands, antennal glands and muscle were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry.