Determination of Heavy Metals in Water and Tissues of Crucian Carp (Carassius auratus Gibelio) Collected from Subsidence Pools in Huainan Coal Fields (China)

Abstract

Heavy metals are an important class of chemical contaminants and food is a major vehicle for entry into the ecosystem. Crucian carp (Carassius auratus Gibelio) is an aquatic organism affected by metals and constitutes a major source of contaminated food in the subsidence area. Therefore, cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc were determined in the water of subsidence pools and different tissues of Carassius auratus Gibelio. In addition, the metal concentrations in water and fish from this study were compared with national and international quality guidelines and literature values. The concentrations of metals in water were in the range of 4.05 to 15.49 µg L⁻¹ for zinc, 3.03 to 5.43 µg L⁻¹ for lead, 0.33 to 1.43 µg L⁻¹ for cadmium, and 7.25 to 26.93 µg L⁻¹ for copper, which are within the permissible levels for culturing fish. Metal concentrations in tissues (viscera, gills, and muscle) varied significantly depending on the site. In Carassius auratus Gibelio, the accumulation of metals was in the sequence viscera > gills > muscle. Metal concentrations in muscle (Zn, 8.63 to 10.5 mg kg⁻¹; Pb, 0.12 to 0.36 mg kg⁻¹; Cd, 0.005 to 0.01 mg kg⁻¹; Cu, 1.14 to 1.77 mg kg⁻¹) of Carassius auratus Gibelio were far below the permissible limits proposed by Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization and Chinese legislation, suggesting that the fish were safe for human consumption. Correlations between metal concentrations in tissues of Carassius auratus Gibelio and in water are also reported.

Keywords:

• Carassius auratus Gibelio
• Coal mine
• Heavy metals
• Subsidence pool

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We appreciate the constructive comments of anonymous reviewers.