Heavy Metals in Fish Muscle in the Rivers of Lithuania

Abstract

Concentrations of cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) were measured in the muscles of 2-year-old fish collected from 20 sites in 12 rivers of Lithuania in 2003. The concentration of Pb exceeded the MPC of 0.2 mg/kg in nearly 45% of fish samples. Relatively high concentrations of Pb in fish muscle were supposed to be conditioned by the unusually high concentration of Pb in the water of rivers in the preceding year, i.e. in August–September 2002. Results of our analysis indicated that interaction among Ca concentration in water, Pb concentration in bottom sediments, and increase in Pb concentration in water in 2002 determined accumulation of Pb in fish muscle in the investigated rivers.

Keywords:

• fish
• heavy metals
• rivers