Lead, cadmium, and aluminum accumulation in the red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii G. collected from roadside drainage ditches in Louisiana

Abstract

The concentration of Pb, Cd, and Al in tissues of crayfish Procambarus clarkii were evaluated from several wetland sites located adjacent to roadways and were compared to crayfish harvested from a commercial site free from roadside influences. Abdominal muscle, hepatopancreas, alimentary tract, exoskeleton and blood were analyzed for metal content. Results indicated that levels of contamination obtained in almost all tissues of crayfish from roadside ditches contained significantly higher amounts of metals than those of the commercially harvested control crayfish (p = less than or equal to .05-.001). Detection limits of Pb, Cd, and Al ranged from 0.04 microgram Pb/g to 16.15 micrograms Pb/g, .001 microgram Cd/g to .13 microgram Cd/g, and 1.22 micrograms Al/g to 981 micrograms Al/g, respectively. Concentrations of Pb, Cd, and Al were highest in the hepatopancreas and alimentary tract. High levels of these elements were also detected in the exoskeleton. In contrast, muscle tissue was the least affected tissue. Several significant correlations among concentrations of metals were found when comparing a variety of tissues in Procambarus clarkii.