Toxic metals in aquatic plants surviving in surface water polluted by copper mining industry

Concentrations of the metals Al, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn, as well as the macronutrients N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and S were measured in water, sediments, and the aquatic macrophytes Potamogeton pectinatus and Myriophyllum spicatum, growing in surface water receiving sewages and solid wastes from a copper smelter and a copper ore processing factory located in the Legnica-Glogow copper district in Southwest Poland. The deposition of mineral wastes in this area belong to the largest repository in Europe. The plants were able to survive at heavily contaminated sites. The concentrations of Cd (up to 0.6-1.7 microg/L in water and up to 10.1-12.9 mg/kg in sediments), Cu (up to 29-48 microg/L in water and up to 4.6-5.6g/kg in sediments), Pb (up to 1.5-2.2 g/kg in sediments), and Zn (up to 167-200 microg/L in water and up to 1.4-1.8 g/kg in sediments) seriously exceeded background values. P. pectinatus was able to survive tissue concentrations (in mg/kg) of up to 920 Cu, 6240 Mn, 98 Co, and 59 Ni, while M. spicatum survived tissue concentrations up to 1040 Cu, 6660 Mn, and 57 Co for. Enrichment ratios of elements in plant tissue and in water were much higher than those between plant tissue and sediments.     

Distribution and Accumulation of Metals in Tadpoles Inhabiting the Metalliferous Streams of Eastern Chalkidiki, Northeast Greece

The present study investigates the accumulation of heavy metals [copper (Cu), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), magnesium (Mn), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), and chromium (Cr)] in tadpoles inhabiting the metalliferous streams flowing within the Asprolakkas River basin (northeast Chalkidiki peninsula, Greece) and the effect of potentially harmful elements in stream water and sediment on the corresponding levels in their tissue. Animals were collected from six sampling sites influenced by a wide range of surface water and stream sediment trace element concentrations. The results of the chemical analyses showed that tadpoles accumulated significant levels of all of the examined metals. The range of whole-body mean measured concentrations were (in dry mass) as follows: Cu (46-182?mg/kg), Pb (103-4,490?mg/kg), Zn (494-11,460?mg/kg), Mn (1,620-13,310?mg/kg), Cd (1.2-82?mg/kg), Ni (57-163?mg/kg), and Cr (38-272?mg/kg). The mean concentrations of Pb, Zn, Mn, Ni, Cr, and Cd in Kokkinolakkas stream, which drains a currently active mining area, were the highest ever reported in tadpoles. Our results indicate that whole-body levels of Pb, Zn, Cu, and Cd increase with stream sediment concentrations and that these organisms tend to accumulate metals bound to Fe and Mn oxides. In addition, high dissolved concentrations and significant concentrations associated with more labile geochemical phases of sediments for specific metals were contributing factors determining whole-body levels. Given the observed bioconcentration factors, as well as the correlation with sediment concentrations, it is proposed that these organisms could be considered as bioindicators of environmental contamination and may be used for monitoring purposes within this metal-rich zone and, perhaps, within other rivers affected by metal mining.     

Uptake of lead, cadmium, and other metals in the liver and kidneys of cattle near a lead-zinc mine in Kabwe, Zambia

Concentrations of lead, cadmium, and other metals in the liver and kidneys of cattle near a lead-zinc mine in Kabwe (Zambia), which is ranked among the 10 worst polluted places on earth, were compared with other Zambian towns. Metal concentrations were measured in the liver and kidneys of 51 cattle from Kabwe and other Zambian towns. The maximum metal concentrations, expressed in mg/kg and dry weight, in the liver or kidneys were 398.4 (Cu), 252.6 (Zn), 77.81 (Cr), 19.37 (Cd), 7.57 (Ni), 1.8 (Pb), 1.04 (Co), 0.112 (Hg), and 0.05 (As). Concentrations of Pb and Cd in Kabwe cattle were higher than levels in other Zambian towns. The mean concentration of Cd exceeded benchmark values in offal destined for human consumption. Levels of Ni and Cr may also pose public health concerns. Concentrations of Pb and Cr, Pb and Cu, Cd and Zn, Cd and Hg, Zn and Cu, Cu and Co, as well as Co and Ni were positively correlated. The present study also highlighted the dangers of exposure of animals and humans to a mixture of toxic metals.     

Metal contents in epiphytic bryophytes in Kitakyushu area

Metal contents in epiphytic bryophytes growing at Yahata Nishi-ku, Kitakyushu City and its vicinity were measured. Measurements were made both on the contents in the plant body of a single species Clastobryella kusatsuensis and on those of the whole bryophytic community. Contents of eight elements (Fe, Zn, Mn, Cr, Pb, Ni, Cu and Cd) decrease generally with increase in distance from the center of the industrialized area. No such marked regional difference was seen in the contents of Ca and Mg. The ratios of seven kinds of elements (Fe, Mn, Cr, Pb, Ni, Cu and Cd) in bryophytes almost coincide with those in airborne particulates. It was proved that C. kusatsuensis and communities of bryophytes can be an indicator of air pollution by metals.     

Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals by Aquatic Macrophytes around Wroc aw, Poland

Studies were made of heavy metal accumulation in aquatic macrophytes growing in streams and ponds around Wroc aw, Poland, partly affected by atmospheric pollution, effluents of chemical factories, and groundwater contaminated by slagdumps from a smelter and power station. The highest concentrations of Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn in surface water and aquatic macrophytes surpass the average values established for background reference sites. Significant positive correlations were found between Cu contents in water and Cu, Cd, and Zn contents in plants, between Cu and Cd in plants, between Co and Ni in plants, between Ni contents in water and Ni and Cu contents in plants, between Zn in water and Cu in plants, and between Cd and Ni in plants. Negative correlations were found between Cd contents in water and Zn contents in plants, between Co in water and Cd in plants, and between Zn in water and Co in plants. Experiments with the liverwortScapania undulataoriginating from a clean, forested, mountain stream and cultivated in solutions containing 70–100% sewage from a chemical factory demonstrated an increase in lead content (85 times in 100% sewage and 58 times in 70% sewage) and in mercury content (40 times in 100% sewage and 20 times in 70% sewage), and also an increase in contents of Cd, Cr, Cu, and Ni. Exposure to 70% sewage concentration during the 14 days of the experiment may be recognized as harmless forS. undulata,so this liverwort could be used in biotechnical purification of water.     

Anthropogenic Sources of Heavy Metals in the Indian Ocean Coast of Kenya

Water and surface sediment samples from Rivers Sabaki, Ramisi and Vevesi that flow into the Indian Ocean coast of Kenya were analysed for heavy metals. The sediment concentrations of exchangeable cations (in μg/g) for Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sn and Zn ranged from 0.10 to 506.75 (for Mn at Sabaki), constituting between 2% and 20% of the total metal concentrations obtained by digestion with strong acid. Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn were more leachable with 0.1 N HCl. The total dissolved metal in water and the total sediment concentrations for Ag, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sn and Zn are given in the text. For dissolved metals, the metal/Mn ratios indicated higher concentrations of Ag in Sabaki River, Cd in Ramisi, Ni in Sabaki and Pb in Ramisi, respectively. In sediments, the metal/Mn ratios showed higher enrichment of Ag in Ramisi, Cd in Sabaki and Vevesi, and Zn in Sabaki, respectively. Enrichment factors showed elevated levels of Cd, Pb and Zn in sediment in River Sabaki and River Vevesi that were due to anthropogenic inputs through Athi River. The total dissolved metal concentration ranges for the three rivers were comparable with those ranges reported in rivers in South Africa but the sediment concentrations were below those of rivers in Europe and Asia where anthropogenic addition of some of the toxic elements such as Cu, Pb and Cd is evidently higher.     

Comparison of heavy metals in marine sediments from coast areas in East and Southeast Asian countries during the years 2000--2010

Comparisons of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in marine sediments from coast areas in Southeast and East Asian countries during the years 2000-2010 are studied and discussed in this paper. The results indicate that the average compositions of Cd ranged from 0.13 to 0.89 mg/kg, and the average compositions of Cr ranged from 0.09 to 96.0 mg/kg. Moreover, the average compositions of Cu ranged from 3.00 to 148 mg/kg, and the average compositions of Ni ranged from 1.00 to 37.4 mg/kg. In addition, the average compositions of Pb ranged from 1.00 to 111 mg/kg. Finally, the average compositions of Zn ranged from 4.00 to 595 mg/kg. From the point of view of metals distribution areas for this study, the average highest metal of Ni occurred in East Asia, while the highest metals of Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn occurred in Southeast Asian countries.     

Levels of Toxic Metals in Multisectoral Samples from Winam Gulf of Lake Victoria

In this study, the distribution and sources of inputs of trace metals including Cd, Cu, Zn and Pb from various sources as well as Fe which is widely used in the construction industry, into Winam Gulf of Lake Victoria were investigated. The sampling sites were located up streams and down streams of four rivers (Sio, Nyamasaria, Nyando and Sondu-Miriu), in four beaches along the lake (Port Victoria, Kisumu Car Wash, Dunga and Hippo point beaches) and in three estates (Nyamasaria, Migosi and Nyawita) in Kisumu city, covering potential agrochemical and industrial sources and drinking water points, respectively. The concentrations (in μg/L) of trace metals analysed in the lake and river waters ranged from <1.79 (Cd), <3.83 (Pb), <1.53–3.86 (Cu), 4.37–11.6 (Zn), 11.8–2,440 (Fe). The sediment concentrations (in μg/kg × 10³) ranged from 0.19 to 1.91 (Cd), 6.86–138 (Pb), 18–100 (Cu), 36.2–443 (Zn) and 960–73,200 (Fe), with highest concentrations of all metals being recorded at Kisumu Car Wash area. The study confirmed that the concentrations of the metals accumulate downstream in the rivers both in water and sediment and these rivers are major sources of the heavy metal load into Winam Gulf of Lake Victoria.     

Concentrations of Metals in Water,Sediment, Biofilm,Benthic Macroinvertebrates,and Fish in the Boulder River Watershed,Montana, and the Role of Colloids in Metal Uptake

To characterize the partitioning of metals in a stream ecosystem, concentrations of trace metals including As, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn were measured in water, colloids, sediment, biofilm (also referred to as aufwuchs), macroinvertebrates, and fish collected from the Boulder River watershed, Montana. Median concentrations of Cd, Cu, and Zn in water throughout the watershed exceeded the U.S. EPA acute and chronic criteria for protection of aquatic life. Concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn in sediment were sufficient in the tributaries to cause invertebrate toxicity. The concentrations of As, Cu, Cd, Pb, and Zn in invertebrates from lower Cataract Creek (63, 339, 59, 34, and 2,410 μg/g dry wt, respectively) were greater than the concentrations in invertebrates from the Clark Fork River watershed, Montana (19, 174, 2.3, 15, and 648 μg/g, respectively), that were associated with reduced survival, growth, and health of cutthroat trout fed diets composed of those invertebrates. Colloids and biofilm seem to play a critical role in the pathway of metals into the food chain and concentrations of As, Cu, Pb, and Zn in these two components are significantly correlated. We suggest that transfer of metals associated with Fe colloids to biological components of biofilm is an important pathway where metals associated with abiotic components are first available to biotic components. The significant correlations suggest that Cd, Cu, and Zn may move independently to biota (biofilm, invertebrates, or fish tissues) from water and sediment. The possibility exists that Cd, Cu, and Zn concentrations increase in fish tissues as a result of direct contact with water and sediment and indirect exposure through the food chain. However, uptake through the food chain to fish may be more important for As. Although As concentrations in colloids and biofilm were significantly correlated with As water concentrations, As concentrations in fish tissues were not correlated with water. The pathway for Pb into biological components seems to begin with sediment because concentrations of Pb in water were not significantly correlated with any other component and because concentrations of Pb in the water were often below detection limits.     

Transfer of Copper,Lead and Zinc in Soil–Grass Ecosystem in Aspect of Soils Properties,in Poland

The total metal concentrations in soil samples from polluted area (roadside soils) ranged from 13.87 to 195.76 mg/kg for Cu; 13.56–310.17 mg/kg for Pb and 18.43–894.11 mg/kg for Zn and they were, respectively about 5, 2 and 13 times above the corresponding values in soil samples from country area. The mean values of EDTA-extractable concentrations in soil samples at unpolluted sites were: 2.47 mg/kg for Cu, 6.33 mg/kg for Pb and 4.94 mg/kg for Zn. The highest concentrations of Cu, Pb and Zn in grass were measured in soils from polluted area. Higher values of proportions of EDTA-extractable metals (24% for Cu, 40% for Pb and 38% for Zn) indicate that anthropogenic metals were more mobile and bioavailable than the same metals in soils from unpolluted area (20, 16 and 20% for Cu, Pb and Zn, respectively). The availability of Cu, Pb and Zn are affected by soil properties such as pH, organic matter content and cation exchange capacity. Correlation between the EDTA-extractable forms concentrations of metals and the total concentration in the various soils was observed. The coefficients of determination (R²) varied between 0.809 for Cu; 0,709 for Pb and 0.930 for Zn in polluted soils and they are higher than corresponding values in unpolluted soils.     

Analysis of Heavy Metals in Water and Surface Sediment in Five Rift Valley Lakes in Kenya for Assessment of Recent Increase in Anthropogenic Activities

The concentrations of heavy metals Ag, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sn and Zn were analysed in water and surface sediments of five Rift Valley lakes Nakuru, Elementaita, Naivasha, Bogoria and Baringo in Kenya. The dissolved mean concentration levels (μg/L) in water ranged within 13.0–185.0 (Ag), 2.0–43.0 (Cd), 5.0–316.0 (Co), 25.0–188.0 (Cr), 4.7–100.0 (Cu), 50.0–282.0 (Mn), 19.0–288.0 (Ni), 25.0–563.0 (Pb), 300.0–1050.0 (Sn) and 29.0–235.0 (Zn). The mean sediment concentrations (in μg/g (dry weight)) ranged within 0.1–0.35 (Ag), 0.05–1.18 (Cd), 0.17–1.38 (Co), 1.94–4.91 (Cr), 1.46–20.95 (Cu), 667.7–3946.8 (Mn), 11.69–39.72 (Ni), 10.92–38.98 (Pb), 17.21–56.52 (Sn) and 96.2–229.6 (Zn). The data indicate that some of the sites analysed, especially in Lake Nakuru, had relatively higher concentration levels of heavy metals Cd, Co, Cu, Pb, Ni, and Zn in the water which points to anthropogenic addition. However, potential influence of geochemical processes on the concentration levels in sediment is also shown in Co, Ni, and Cu which were more concentrated in the remote Lake Baringo sediment as well as in Pb and Mn which were more concentrated in the remote Lake Bogoria sediment. Data on some important limnological parameters including pH, salinity, electrical conductivity and temperature are also presented.     

Metal Contamination in Market Based Vegetables in an Industrial Region, India

Concentrations of metals were determined in market vegetables in Ghaziabad industrial region. The average concentrations of metals (mg/kg dry wt.) in vegetables ranged from 0.57 to 9.77, 0.72 to 22.17, 2.76 to 46.63, 2.53 to 5.53, 28.87 to 65.94, 6.77 to 74.1, 8.43 to 161.1, 23.46 to 36.55 and 4.74 to 24.18 for Cu, Cr, Pb, Cd, Zn, Mn, Fe, Ni and Co, respectively. Pb, Cd and Ni were above the recommended limit in all the examined vegetables.     

Sediment toxicity tests using benthic marine microalgae Cylindrotheca closterium (Ehremberg) Lewin and Reimann (Bacillariophyceae)

A new method for sediment toxicity testing using marine benthic pennate noncolonial diatom (Cylindrotheca closterium, formerly Nitzschia closterium) has been developed. This microalgae showed a good growth rate during the experimental period, even when low enriched media were used. Sediment spiked with heavy metals [cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), and lead (Pb)] was employed to determine the EC(50) values, using microalgal growth inhibition as the endpoint. The obtained results were as follows: Three heavy metals (Cd, Cu, and Pb), previously spiked on experimental sediment, were separately assayed in toxicity tests. The EC(50) values for these heavy metals in microalgal growth inhibition tests resulted to be 79 mg kg(-1) for Cd, 26 mg kg(-1) for Cu, and 29 mg kg(-1) for Pb (in experimental sediment). The influence of sediment granulometry on the growth of microalgal population was also studied, finding that the growth of the microalgal population on media containing sediment with a relation sand-size:silt size of 9:1 was not different from optimal growth (occurring in media containing 100% sand-sized sediment). The diatom C. closterium proved to be a suitable organism for sediment toxicity tests, due to its sensitivity and fast growth even in poorly enriched media.     

Redistribution of Fractions of Zinc,Cadmium, Nickel,Copper, and Lead in Contaminated Calcareous Soils Treated with EDTA

Effect of ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) on the fractionation of zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), and lead (Pb) in contaminated calcareous soils was investigated. Soil samples containing variable levels of contamination, from 105.9 to 5803 mg/kg Zn, from 2.2 to 1361 mg/kg Cd, from 31 to 64.0 mg/kg Ni, from 24 to 84 mg/kg Cu, and from 109 to 24,850 mg/kg Pb, were subjected to EDTA treatment at different dosages of 0, 1.0, and 2.0 g/kg. Metals in the incubated soils were fractionated after 5 months by a sequential extraction procedure, in which the metal fractions were experimentally defined as exchangeable (EXCH), carbonate (CARB), Mn oxide (MNO), Fe oxide (FEO), organic matter (OM), and residual (RES) fractions. In contaminated soils without EDTA addition, Zn, Ni, Cu, and Pb were predominately present in the RES fraction, up to 60.0%, 32.3%, 41.1%, and 36.8%, respectively. In general, with the EDTA addition, the EXCH and CARB fractions of these metals increased dramatically while the OM fraction decreased. The Zn, Ni, Cu, and Pb were distributed mostly in RES, OM, FEO, and CARB fractions in contaminated soils, but Cd was found predominately in the CARB, MNO, and RES fractions. The OM fraction decreased with increasing amounts of EDTA. In the contaminated soils, EDTA removed some Pb, Zn, Cu, and Ni from MNO, FEO, and OM fractions and redistributed them into CARB and EXCH fractions. Based on the relative percent in the EXCH and CARB fractions, the order of solubility was Cd > Pb > Ni > Cu > Zn for contaminated soils, before adding of EDTA, and after adding of EDTA, the order of solubility was Pb > Cd > Zn > Ni > Cu. The risk of groundwater contamination will increase after applying EDTA and it needed to be used very carefully.     

Determination of mineral contents of Turkish herbal tea (Salvia aucheri var. canescens) at different infusion periods

Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry has been used for the determination of contents of major and minor elements in Salvia aucheri var. canescens (sage) and its infusions for different intervals. Twenty-five elements (Al, B, Ba, Bi, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ga, Ln, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, Pb, S, Sr, Ti,V, and Zn) were detected in both S. aucheri and its infusions. The ranges of mineral levels varied from Cd (1.6668 mg/kg) to K (13,570 mg/kg) and Ni (0.05273 mg/kg) to K (196.25 mg/kg) in the herb and its infusions, respectively. The levels of K, Ca, Na, Mg, and S in all infusions in this work were higher than those of the other elements. However, Al, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Li, K, Mg, Na, Ni, P, Pb, Sr, Ti, and Zn contents were high in the first period of infusion. As a result, the first period of infusion may be proposed as the optimum infusion time because of nutritional properties. These results may be useful for the evaluation of dietary information.     

Red Fox (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Vulpes vulpes</Emphasis> Linnaeus, 1758) as Biological Indicator for Environmental Pollution in Hungary

Our aim were to establish the metal (Cu, Ni, Zn, Co, Cd, and Pb) levels of red fox liver and the kidney samples (n = 10) deriving from central part of Hungary and compare the results with other countries’ data. According to our results the concentrations of residues of the targeted elements (mg/kg dry weight) in liver and kidney samples were, respectively in liver: Cu: 21.418, Zn: 156.928, Ni: 2.079, Co: 1.611, Pb: 1.678 and Cd: 0.499; and kidney samples: Cu: 9.236; Zn: 87.159; Ni: 2.514; Co: 2.455; Pb: 2.63 and Cd: 0.818. Pb levels of Hungarian red fox liver samples significantly exceed the values of Italian specimens’ samples, whilst the same element’s concentrations of Hungarian red fox kidney samples were higher than the results published in Germany.     

Sediment Metal Contamination in the Kafue River of Zambia and Ecological Risk Assessment

Zambia’s Kafue River receives wastes from various sources, resulting in metal pollution. This study determined the degree of contamination of 13 metals (Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Cd, Hg and Pb) in Kafue River sediment and the associated ecological risks at six sites in three different seasons. The level of contamination for most metals showed significant site and seasonal differences. The contamination factor and pollution load index indicated that concentrations of most metals particularly copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), manganese (Mn) and arsenic (As) were very high at sites within the Copperbelt mining area. The geoaccumulation index showed an absence of anthropogenic enrichment with Cd and Hg at all the study sites and extreme anthropogenic enrichment with Cu at sites in the Copperbelt mining area. Potential ecological risk showed that Cu and As were likely to cause adverse biological effects to aquatic organisms in the Copperbelt mining region of the Kafue River.     

The effects of cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc on the growth and reproduction of Proisotoma minuta Tullberg (Collembola)

Laboratory studies were conducted to evaluate Proisotoma minuta sensitivity toward selected heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn). The experimental results showed a reduction in adult survival and no reproduction at the highest concentrations of Cd and Zn. Application of Pb at all levels resulted in large numbers of progeny and no significant mortality compared to controls. EC50 reproduction values for Cd, Cu, and Zn were 125, 696, and 283 microg g(-1), respectively. No significant difference in time from the introduction of adults into the test soils to the appearance of the first-instar animals was observed between different metal treatments. The growth rate of adults decreased for all metal treatments compared to the controls. It is suggested that the accumulation of metals in P. minuta affects metabolism and results in a slower growth rate. The absence of any statistically significant effect on mortality at all concentrations of Pb may be due to greater tolerance of P. minuta to Pb than to other metals.     

Evaluation of total and bioaccessible concentration of minerals in creole beans

The present study evaluated the total and bioaccessible concentrations of minerals in raw and cooked Creole beans. An analytical methodology was optimized, which involved several steps from sample preparation, accuracy study, data treatment, and instrumental analysis – using a microwave-induced plasma optical emission spectrometer (MIP OES). The present study provides information about the total concentration of the metals Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Pb, Zn and the bioaccessible fraction of metals Ba, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn in three different types of creole beans. The elements that presented a greater quantity on all beans, both raw and cooked, were K and Mg. K varied from 12,600 to 13,300 mg/kg for the raw beans and 4590–10300 mg/kg for the cooked beans. Mg varied between 1620 and 1980 mg/kg for the raw beans and 670–1040 mg/kg for the cooked beans. The BRS Expedito type showed a higher concentration of K and Mg on raw and cooked beans. However, when the bioaccessibility study was carried out among the elements listed above, the most bioaccessible were Cu and Zn. Cu presented a bioaccessible fraction percentage between 52.6–59.2% for raw beans and 38.5–61.2% for cooked beans. Zn presented a bioaccessible fraction percentage between 45.6–50.6% for raw beans and 43%–63.5% for cooked beans. The results found on this study indicate that, possibly, the water and the cooking process significantly influences the mineral content. Also, studying mineral concentration on cooked beans is more nutritionally important than characterizing the raw grain, as beans are a type of food mostly consumed on its cooked form.     

Assessment of trace elements in canned fishes (mackerel, tuna, salmon, sardines and herrings) marketed in Georgia and Alabama (United States of America)

The concentrations of mercury and 13 other trace metals in 104 canned fish samples purchased within the states of Georgia and Alabama (United States of America) were determined using the direct mercury analyzer (DMA) and the inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES). The ranges obtained for the elements analyzed in mg/kg (wet weight) are as follows: Hg (0.02–0.74), Ag (0.0–0.20), As (0.0–1.72), Cd (0.0–0.05), Cr (0.0–0.30), Fe (0.01–88.4), Pb (0.0–0.03), Mn (0.01–2.55), Ni (0.0–0.78), Co (0.0–0.10), Cu (0.01–5.33), Sn (0.04–28.7), V (0.0–0.31) and Zn (0.14–97.8). Three tuna samples had Hg level above the European dietary limit of 0.5 mg Hg/kg. The mean Hg concentrations in the tuna (285 μg/kg) and sardine (107 μg/kg) brands were higher than the averages posted by the pink salmon (36.1 μg/kg), red salmon (32.8 μg/kg) and mackerel (36.4 μg/kg) brands. Two tuna samples and a sardine sample exceeded the Australian permissible limit of 1 μg/g inorganic arsenic (wet weight). Two samples (brand 15: herring) had zinc levels exceeding the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recommended limit of 40 mg/kg and two pink salmons also exceeded the Brazilian regulatory limit of 0.1 mg Cr/kg. One tuna sample had a cadmium level slightly exceeding the Codex Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants draft guideline of 0.50 mg Cd/kg. However, the concentrations of lead, cadmium and copper were below the corresponding MAFF guidelines of 2.0, 1.0 and 30 mg/kg, respectively. Also, based on the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) health criteria for carcinogens, there are no health risks with respect to Pb, Cr, Cu and Zn concentrations in canned fishes analyzed. The result of the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) conducted on the data suggested that significant variations (P<0.05) existed in the concentrations of Hg, As, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Sn, V, and Zn across the various fish species and canned fish brands analyzed. The estimated weekly intakes of Hg, As, Cd, Pb, Sn, Fe, Cu and Zn for a 60 kg adult consuming 350 g of fish/week were below the respective provisional tolerable weekly intakes (PTWI) in μg/kg body weight for: Hg: 5; As: 15; Cd: 7; Pb: 25; Sn: 14000; Fe: 5600; Cu: 3500; and Zn: 7000.