Heavy metal concentrations in organs of Rudd, Scardinus erythrophthalmus L., 1758 populating Lake Karatas-Turkey

Abstract

Lake ecosystems are, in particular, vulnerable to heavy metal pollution. Rudd, Scardinius erythrophthalmus is one of the aquatic organisms affected by heavy metals. Therefore, heavy metals Fe, Zn, Mn, Cr, Pb and Cd were measured in different tissues of rudd, S. erythrophthalmus, which include muscle, liver and gill, to assess the fish pollution with heavy metals. Among the heavy metals studied Cr, Pb and Cd were below detection limit (< 0.03). The mean concentrations of heavy metals in muscle varied from 5.70-17.31 mg/kg Zn. In the liver the concentrations varied from 76.37-150.94 mg/kg Fe, 93.14-116.41 mg/kg Zn and in the gills they varied from 64.58-108.13 mg/kg Fe, 130.15-170.84 mg/kg Zn and 6.52-18.12 mg/kg Mn. The tissues of rudd, S .erythrophthalmus showed positive relationships in Fe levels of the muscle and liver (> 0.05) and Mn levels in gill (> 0.05), while there was a negative relationships in Zn levels of the muscle, liver and gill (< 0.05). The results of the study indicated that no serious pollution in the lake is caused by heavy metals.