Seasonal variation of trace elements in muscle tissues of two commercially valuable freshwater fish species (Silurus triostegus and Barbus grypus Heckel, 1843) from Ataturk Dam Lake (Turkey)

Abstract

In this study, some trace metals (Pb, Cd, Hg, Cu, Zn and Fe) were seasonally determined in the muscle tissues of two commercially valuable freshwater fish species (Silurus triostegus and Barbus grypus, Heckel, 1843) from Ataturk Dam Lake. The obtained results showed that the average values of Fe (9.816 +/- 0.390 mu g/g) and Cu (1.343 +/- 0.0.589 mu g/g) in B. grypus were at the highest level in summer and autumn. However, Fe and Cu levels which are under detection limit in S. triostegus were not determined throughout the seasons. The highest Cd and Zn levels were measured in the summer for S. triostegus as 0.060 +/- 0.000 and 9.696 +/- 0.339 mu g/g and for B. grypus as 0.039 +/- 0.007 and 11.347 +/- 1.13 mu g/g, respectively. The highest Pb levels were recorded in winter as 0.063 +/- 0.002 and 0.301 +/- 0.321 mu g/g for S. triostegus and B. Grypus, respectively. The highest Hg levels were determined in Autumn for the two fish species (for S. triostegus as 0.093 +/- 0.005 mu g/g; for B. grypus as 0.057 +/- 0.010 mu g/g). In general, the avarage trace metal concentrations are similar to those previously observed in other fish species studied in Ataturk Dam Lake.