Bioaccumulation of heavy metals in water, sediment, aquatic plants and tissues of Cyprinus carpio from Kizilirmak, Turkey

Abstract

Fish are the ideal indicators of heavy metal accumulation in aquatic systems, because they occupy different trophic levels at different sizes and ages. This study assesses the applicability of a sentinel tissue of the carp Cyprinus carpio as a biomonitor of metal accumulation. Fish tissues were analyzed for Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn. Metal levels in organs were related to levels in water, aquatic plants and sediments. In carp tissues, the highest levels of metals were found in kidney, with the exception of Mn. In general, the differences between the metal pair concentrations in carp tissues were statistically significant (p< 0.05) for most of the measured metals and below the limits of FAO/WHO, EU and Turkish Food Codes proposed for fish, but exceeded for Pb, Mn and Zn. In the edible parts of the carps in this region, they are not safe within the limits for human consumption. The results obtained were compared with those in earlier studies.