Metal Concentrations of Common Freshwater and Mari

Authors: K C Cheung H M Leung M H Wong

Publish Date: 2007/12/14

Volume: 54, Issue: 4, Pages: 705-715

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Abstract

Sediments and fish including tilapia Oreochromis mossambicus bighead carp Aristichthys nobilis grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idellus and mandarin fish Siniperca chuatsi were collected from different fish ponds in the Pearl River Delta Tanzhou Sanjiao Guangzhou Shipai Changan and Mai Po for the analysis of metalloids and heavy metals arsenic As cadmium Cd chromium Cr mercury Hg and lead Pb The pollution of As in pond sediments was great however As in the edible parts of pond fish were within the international permissible safety levels for human consumption Axial muscles from 10 species each of freshwater and marine fish purchased from markets in Hong Kong were also analyzed for As Cd Cr Cu Hg Ni Pb and Zn Freshwater fish contained 024 to 213 mg/kg As 010 to 017 mg/kg Cd 009 to 036 mg/kg Cr 006 to 035 mg/kg Cu 007 to 034 mg/kg Hg 004 to 036 mg/kg Ni 011 to 052 mg/kg Pb and 267 to 191 mg/kg Zn wet weight Marine fish had higher Hg and lower Pb concentrations than freshwater fish A few fish species had average concentrations greater than the international standards for Cd and Pb established by the European Union and the China National Standard Management Department Total Hg concentrations in 10 of 20 market fish species were generally greater than those of the World Health Organization’s recommended limit of 02 mg/kg for atrisk groups such as children and pregnant women Daily intake through fish consumption of these metals were compared with the Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake proposed by the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization Expert Committee on Food Additives There appears to be potential threat to local people from Hg contamination because of the high marine fish consumption rate 142 g/d/personThe authors thank C Y Lan and T G Luan of Zhongshan University and K Y Kong I Yeung and C W Lau of Hong Kong Baptist University for their technical assistance Financial support from the Faculty Research Grant Science Faculty Hong Kong Baptist University is gratefully acknowledged

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