Heavy metal contamination of Odontesthes bonariensis in La Florida (San Luis, Argentina).

NAVARRO BECERRA, N.; RODRÍGUEZ, N.; ANTÓN, R. I.; ENRIQUE CAVIEDES VIDAL

Merlo, San Luis

Congreso; Reunión de la SOciedad de Biología de Cuyo; 2004

HEAVY METAL CONTAMINATION OF Odontesthes bonariensis IN LA FLORIDA, (SAN LUIS, ARGENTINA) Navarro Becerra N, Rodriguez N, Antón R, Caviedes- Vidal E. Fac Quim Bioquim Farm, Univ Nac San Luis. Lead and cadmium water concentrations in La Florida are over EPA admissible values. Since there is no background information about fish contamination in this region, the aims of this work were to monitor Pb and Cd in organs of the silverside (O. bonariensis) and to analyze the risk for human consumption. Contamination was detected in gills (Gi), liver (L), intestine (I), stomach (E), gonads (G), muscle (M) and vertebra (V) of fish of age 1 to 6 years old by AAE-GF. The minimum and maximum levels expressed in ng/g for each organ were: Gi = 86.85 - 581.23; L = 928.89 - 6961.37; I = 213.75 -1278.62; E = 120.40 - 671.05; G = 883.30 - 23134.56; M = 23.90 - 434.68 and V = 917.33 - 3719.66 for Pb, and Gi = 28.94 - 151.21; L = 254.45 - 2158.31; I = 45.54 - 250.38, E = 65.91 - 384.50; G = 381.12 - 12328.5; M = 13.34 - 142.05 and V = 207.2 1 - 2548.92 for Cd. These values are the first data for heavy metal reported for silversides in this region. Pb and Cd total concentration tended to increase proportionally with body size. Concentrations of both toxicants were beneath SENASA recommended limits for human consumption.