Iron, Copper, and Zinc in Some Fish Species of the Atrato River Delta, Colombian Caribbean

ABSTRACT

The concentrations of iron (Fe), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) were evaluated in 96 samples of the following eight fish species: Centropomus undecimalis, Caranx hippos, Scomberomorus brasiliensis, Lutjanus purpureus, Caranx crysos, Megalops atlanticus, Elops saurus, and Epinephelus itajara collected in the Atrato River Delta in the Gulf of Urabá. Three fish were caught from each of the following common fishing grounds: Bahía Candelaria, Bahía Marirrío, Bocas del Roto, and Bocas del Atrato. Fish were captured during a one-year period, with one specimen per species in each climatic period: dry, transient, and wet. The quantification was performed by microwave plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy. The highest levels of Fe and Cu were found in Caranx crysos, and highest level of Zn in Megalops atlanticus. According to the percentage of the daily value per food serving, Caranx crysos and Caranx hippos are good sources of Fe, and Caranx crysos is a good source of Cu.

KEYWORDS:

• Copper
• daily intake
• essential minerals
• fish
• food security
• Iron
• Zinc

Acknowledgments

To the Government of Antioquia, Secretary of Agriculture, AUNAP. To the Research Group in Food and Human Nutrition (GIANH), Diagnosis and Control of Pollution Research Group (GDCON), Grupo de Investigación en Sistemas Marinos y Costeros (GISMAC), Ecología Lótica: Islas, Costas y Estuarios (ELICE) and the researchers Nataly Gutiérrez, Luisa María Zapata, Alexander Taborda, Alejandro Sandoval for their support in the achievement of the data and logistics.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

Funding

This work was supported by the General System of Royalties, Universidad de Antioquia and Universidad Nacional de Santiago del Estero, in the Special Research Agreement 4600000983 signed between the Universidad de Antioquia and the Government of Antioquia: Component 1 “Lineamientos prioritarios para la formulación de un ordenamiento pesquero del Golfo de Urabá” Activity 4: Contenido de metales pesados en algunos recursos pesqueros del delta del río Atrato (Golfo de Urabá: Caribe Colombiano)”.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the General System of Royalties, Universidad de Antioquia and Universidad Nacional de Santiago del Estero, in the Special Research Agreement 4600000983 signed between the Universidad de Antioquia and the Government of Antioquia: Component 1 “Lineamientos prioritarios para la formulación de un ordenamiento pesquero del Golfo de Urabá” Activity 4: Contenido de metales pesados en algunos recursos pesqueros del delta del río Atrato (Golfo de Urabá: Caribe Colombiano)”.