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. 2008 Jul 10;8(7):4095-4109.
doi: 10.3390/s8074095.

Comparison of Mercury Distribution Between Liver and Muscle - A Biomonitoring of Fish from Lightly and Heavily Contaminated Localities

Marcela Havelková  1 , Ladislav Dušek  2 , Danka Némethová  2 , Gorzyslaw Poleszczuk  3 , Zdeňka Svobodová  4   5
Affiliations

Comparison of Mercury Distribution Between Liver and Muscle - A Biomonitoring of Fish from Lightly and Heavily Contaminated Localities

Marcela Havelková et al. Sensors (Basel). .

Abstract

Tissue samples from 1,117 fish of 25 species were collected from 1991 through 1996 at 13 locations along the River Elbe. The principal indicator species were perch (Perca fluviatilis) (n=118), chub (Leuciscus cephalus L.) (n=113) and roach (Rutilus rutilus) (n=138). Mercury (Hg) concentrations in muscle and liver were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. The liver/muscle index in three indicator species from heavily contaminated and lightly contaminated localities were significantly different. In fish from heavily contaminated localities, Hg was deposited preferentially in the liver (the depository for inorganic and organic forms of Hg), while in lightly contaminated areas, it was deposited preferentially in muscle.

Keywords: Hg liver/muscle ratio; indicator fish; non-predator; predator; river contamination.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Geographical location of the sites (Czech Republic). The number of fish captured at individual sites is given in parenthesis. Site 1 - Opatovice downstream (n = 120), Site 2 - Pardubice upstream (n = 98), Site 3 -Pardubice downstream (n = 65), Site 4 - Kolín upstream (n = 48), Site 5 - Kolín downstream (n = 72), Site 6 - Čelákovice downstream (n = 69), Site 7 - Neratovice downstream (n = 77), Site 8 - Štětí downstream (n = 30), Site 9 - Lovosice downstream (n = 75), Site 10 - Variov downstream (n = 25), Site 11 - Ústí nad Labem downstream (n = 93), Site 12 - Decín downstream (n = 279), Site 13 - Hfensko downstream (n = 66;.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
The main indicator species – Perch (Perca fluviatilis).
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
The main indicator species – Chub (Leuciscus cephalus L.).
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
The main indicator species – Roach (Rutilus rutilus).
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