The lead concentration in the water and Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) in Choghakhor international wetland

The contamination of natural ecosystems with a wide range of environmental pollutants, especially heavy metals, has attracted much attention in recent decades. Common carp, due to its large body size and higher average age, can absorb high levels of heavy metals. Also, the omnivorous regime and the use of benthos have allowed the accumulation of high amounts of heavy metals in various organs of this fish, especially the liver, kidney and muscle. In this study, the amount of lead in muscle of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and water of Choghakhor wetland was investigated. Accordingly, 45 specimens of common carp were sampled by a fishing trip with 45 water samples at three stations in the summer and spring of 2017. After determining the age, sex and weight and measuring the physiochemical parameters of water, the amount of lead in water and fish tissue after extraction was measured using a graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The results showed that the mean lead concentration in carp (0.2 mg/l) is lower than the maximum acceptable level in the WHO (0.5 mg /l). But with increasing the fertilizer and chemical pesticides, it is likely that the level of contamination will increase gradually to a degree of risk. The presence of extensive agricultural activities on the wetland is one of the sources of wastewater coming from fertilizers and pesticides that has affected aquatic life.