Short communication: Determination of total mercury in common carp, Cyprinus carpio, large scaled barb, Barbus grypus, tiger tooth croaker, Otolithes ruber and from surface waters in Khuzestan, Iran

Item Type article

Authors Nanvazadeh, H.; Khodayar, M.J.; Jahangiri, A.; Rahbar, N.; Behfar, A.; Dehbashi, F.

Download date 25/09/2021 14:52:35

Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/1834/37852 Iranian Journal of Fisheries Sciences 16(2) 844-850 2017

Determination of total mercury in common carp, Cyprinus carpio, large scaled barb, Barbus grypus, tiger tooth croaker, Otolithes ruber and from surface waters in Khuzestan, Iran

Nanvazadeh H.1, 2; Khodayar, M.J.1, 2*; Jahangiri A.3; Rahbar N.3;

Behfar A.4; Dehbashi F.1, 2

Received: January 2015 Accepted: October 2016

1- Department of Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran. 2-Toxicology Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran. 3-Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran. 4-Department of Hydrology and Food Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran. Corresponding Author's Email: jKhodayar@ Yahoo.com

Keywords: Fish, Mercury, Muscle, Water, Khuzestan

Introduction on its chemical form. Organic mercury Fishes are a valuable source of dietary compounds are more toxic than protein and minerals for seafood inorganic mercury salts which may consumers and are also used in bioaccumulate to levels that could pharmaceutical products (Mozaffarian, increase health risks to seafood 2009). Over the past several decades consumers (Syversen and Kaur, 2012). aquatic ecosystems have been Since most mercury in fish tissue is extensively contaminated with present as methyl mercury (Me-Hg), it pollutants released from domestic and has been recommended that T-Hg in industrial waste waters and other tissues can serve as a surrogate for Me- anthropogenic activities in Khuzestan, Hg (Kannan et al., 1998). Iran. Heavy metals such as mercury are Although there are several studies considered as one of the four most that have been done before, separately important pollutants of aquatic life (Agah et al., 2010, Sary and because of their high toxicity and Mohammadi, 2012) for the first time T- ability to bioaccumulate in tissue of Hg concentrations were analyzed in aquatic organisms (Hajeb et al., 2009). three regions of Khuzestan Province The toxicity of Hg is highly dependent simultaneously. The main objective of

845 Nanvazadeh et al., Determination of total mercury in common carp, Cyprinus carpio, large … this study was to determine the mercury determination (fifty numbers for each concentrations in the muscle tissue of species in 10 composites). Samples three fish species in three different were collected between water sources of Khuzestan to assess September/November of 2011 from 3 the influence of regional differences regions of Khuzestan province that is and pollutant sources such as located in the southwest of Iran petrochemical industries on total including Cyprinus carpio (common mercury (T-Hg). carp) from aquaculture in Ahvaz, Barbus grypus (large scaled barb) from Materials and methods Karun River in Shushtar and Otolithes One hundred and fifty samples of three ruber (tiger tooth croaker) from coastal fish species were analyzed for mercury areas of the Persian Gulf in Mahshahr seaport (namely Khor; near the petrochemical power plant) (Fig. 1).

Figure 1: Map of Karun River and area of this study in Khuzestan Province, Iran.

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Sample preparation and treatment was of water sample was loaded. The performed according to United States accuracy was checked based on a Environmental Protection Agency standard curve data. Calibration of the (EPA) instruction (U.S.EPA, 1991). DMA-80 was performed using mercury Briefly, after biometric measurement, standard for AAS (1000 mg Hg/L in fish were washed with deionised water, nitric acid, Trace CERT®, Fluka, placed individually in plastic bags, USA). All sample analyses were labelled and placed in the refrigerator. performed in triplicate. The DMA-80 Then, after scarping and grasping the produces accurate results with a fish skin, dorsal muscle tissue of one detection limit of 0.005 ng Hg. side of the fish was dissected with a stainless steel knife. After that, the Statistical analysis fillets were rinsed with double The statistical analysis was done using deionised water. Finally, five samples SPSS16 software and one way ANOVA that were similar in length and weight with post hoc Tukey's test p<0.05 was were mixed completely with a stainless considered to indicate statistically steel blade mixer. All the composites significant. were stored in plastic containers and were frozen at ≤ -20°C (U.S.EPA, Results and discussions 1991). For each fish species, water and The results of analysis of T-Hg in flesh fish samples were collected at the same of fish and water of their ecosystems time and location. Three composite and bioaccumulation factor are samples of water from one meter depths presented in Table 1. Based on were gotten from each location. The bioaccumulation factor, C. carpio and sampling flask was washed with water B. grypus were considered as samples from the sampling site. Water samples that have no artificial or anthropogenic were filtered through a 0.45m sources of mercury around their living membrane, to separate the water- environment. insoluble mercury. The filtrate solution Unlike the concentration of mercury was collected through amber glass in water samples, mercury bottles and mercury free nitric acid was concentrations between fish species added as a preservative solution until were significantly different (p<0.0001). pH reached 2-3 (IAOAC, 1990).T-Hg Studies have shown that mercury levels analysis was performed with a Direct generally present in surface waters were Mercury Analyzer-80 (DMA-80, below EPA standards, 140-150 ppb Milestone, Italy). Briefly, 0.12-0.17 g (ATSDR, 1999). Mercury has a high of homogenized composite of each fish tendency to be adsorbed on sediments, sample was accurately weighed onto and a large proportion of Hg in the metal boat, and then was introduced to water phase is attached to suspended the system. For water analysis, 100 μL particles.

847 Nanvazadeh et al., Determination of total mercury in common carp, Cyprinus carpio, large …

Table 1: Mean concentration of mercury in water and fish and bioaccumulation factor. T-Hg conc. μg/L* Bioaccumulation Sampling site T-Hg conc. μg/kg in fish in water Factor** Ahvaz (Mean±SEM) 0.52 ±0.25 2.11±0.08 0.246445 (Aquaculture) Min-Max ND-2.40 2.10-2.12 Shushtar (Mean±SEM) 42.51 ±2.58 2.39 ±0.49 17.78661 (Karun River) Min-Max 34.27-59.82 1.80-3.37 Mahshahr (Mean±SEM) 216.3 ± 12.12 1.99±0.01 (Coastal area of 108.6935 Min-Max 146.23-258.21 1.97-2.01 the Persian Gulf) *Mean concentration of three points of sample site. **Calculated as the ratio of the mercury concentrations in the muscle of fish to the mean water concentrations.

Meanwhile, elemental mercury can't mercurial wastewater (U.S.EPA, 1997), remain in water for a long time and this can lead to excessive amounts of rapidly changes to methyl mercury. mercury in fish and its bioaccumulation This form of mercury is accumulated in in O. ruber species. Our results for fish from aquatic environments Tiger Tooth Croaker in the Persian Gulf (Langeland, 2015). Regardless of were similar to those of the FDA data in different ecosystems, studies have the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean. shown that total mercury levels in water Investigation showed that wild are low relative to those found in fish (predatory) fish species contained the tissue (Mast and Krabbenhoft, 2010). highest concentrations of methyl In the present study, results indicated mercury among many commercially that marine (O. ruber) and freshwater available fish, while farmed Atlantic (B. grypus) species have higher salmon, contained very low levels of mercury concentrations than farmed mercury (Kelly et al., 2008). fish (C. carpio). However, Mercury Furthermore, it also showed that the T- concentrations in all three fish species Hg concentration in oceanic carp was were below WHO advisory thresholds; high (295 µg/kg), while the results of mercury standard concentration in fish aquaculture samples in this study muscle by WHO is 500 ppb (0.5mg/kg) showed that the level of mercury in C. (ATSDR, 1999). Previous studies have carpio is negligible (0.5 µg/kg) (Farias shown that rivers, lakes and seas that et al., 2005). Accordingly, the have been acidified by acid rain or concentration of heavy metals in the industrial runoff, favor the methylation tissues varied significantly on the of mercury, which biomagnified up the location from where the species were food chain (Regnell and Tunlid, 1991). collected. In this regard, investigations Since long-established Petrochemical show that local environmental industries are situated near Mahshahr conditions,such as acidic conditions (Salehi and Esmaili-Sari, 2010) and may make a pond unfavorable or petrochemical industries produce completely unsuitable for farmed fish

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(Lavoie et al., 2013). By adding lime, effects on developing foetuses and gypsum, alum and potassium infants. permanganate the water chemistry of a pond will be adjusted and pH will be Acknowledgements increased (Bhatnagar and Devi, 2013). This study was supported by a grant Studies showed that there is an from Toxicology Research Center, inverse correlation between pH and Me- Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Hg formation (Clayden et al., 2013, Medical Sciences (U-90107) and is part Dong et al., 2016). It can be due to the of M.Sc. thesis of Hoda Nanvazadeh. supply of carbon dioxide by adding We would like to thank Ms. Marzieh lime for photosynthesis and also Mansourzadeh for her infinite help in increasing algal growth. Furthermore, the laboratory preparing and working in a pond immobile of water exceed with the DMA. algal growth (Long et al., 2011, Devgoswami et al., 2013). Algae take References up mercury through the water directly Agah, H., Leermakers, M., Gao, Y., by adsorption and absorption, like Fatemi, S., Katal, M.M., Baeyens, zooplankton and phytoplankton, which W. and Elskens, M., 2010. Mercury can result in low levels of mercury in accumulation in fish species from surrounding waters (Diéguez et al., the Persian Gulf and in human hair 2013). Moreover, the main source of from fishermen. Environmental nutrition for farmed fish provided by Monitoring and Assessment, 169, human is more healthy. As a result, 203-216. farmed fish are not exposed to high ATSDR, 1999. Agency for toxic levels of mercury and thus mercury substances and disease registry. does not enter the food chain, and Toxicological profile for mercury cannot be considered a serious risk to (update) Atlanta, GA, US human health. It seems that this may be Department of Health and Human responsible for low levels of T-Hg Services, Public Health Service. concentration in C. carpio. The Bhatnagar, A. and Devi, P., 2013. determined levels of mercury in B. Water quality guidelines for the grypus and O. ruber fish species management of pond fish culture. suggest the more intensive mercury International Journal of monitoring in these fish that are Environmental Sciences, 3, 1980. consumed by humans especially in Clayden, M. G., Kidd, K.A., Wyn, B., Mahshahr. Furthermore, this study may Kirk, J.L., Muir, D.C. and be able to offer suitable policies for the O’driscoll, N.J., 2013. Mercury consumers especially in pregnant biomagnification through food webs women because of mercury's harmful is affected by physical and chemical characteristics of lakes.

849 Nanvazadeh et al., Determination of total mercury in common carp, Cyprinus carpio, large …

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