Determination of lead and cadmium concentration in meat of four species of Cyprinid fish from Beheshtabad River, Chaharmahal & Bakhtyari Province and the relation with age and fish speaie

Ninety meat samples of fishes caught from BeheshtabadRiver including Cyprinus carpio (n=29), Carassius auratus gibelio (n=15), Alburnus alburnus (n=27) and Capoeta aculeata (n=19) collected and used for determination of lead and cadmium with the graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry after wet digestion. Fish sampling was done by cast net during summer, autumn and winter 2007 and spring 2008. The results showed that the mean concentrations of lead and cadmium was 181.6 and 91.03 in Cyprinus carpio, 191.07 and 88.13 in Carassius auratus gibelio, 145.7 and 70.85 in Alburnus alburnus and 117.92 and 60.68 µg/kg in Capoeta aculeata. The mean concentrations of lead and cadmium in total samples were 159.02 and 78.09 µg/kg, respectively. The mean concentration of cadmium in samples examined exceeded acceptable threshold established in the European Commission (EC). Lead and cadmium concentration in 10% and 57.5% of samples exceeded the tolerance limits established in EC respectively. The results showed that there is significant difference between cadmium levels in meat of fish species (P<0.05). The high concentration of cadmium and lead in fish meat is probably due to missusing of phosphate fertilizers in agriculture affairs and entry of agricultural sewage into the river. 
Ninety meat samples of fishes caught from BeheshtabadRiver including Cyprinus carpio (n=29), Carassius auratus gibelio (n=15), Alburnus alburnus (n=27) and Capoeta aculeata (n=19) collected and used for determination of lead and cadmium with the graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry after wet digestion. Fish sampling was done by cast net during summer, autumn and winter 2007 and spring 2008. The results showed that the mean concentrations of lead and cadmium was 181.6 and 91.03 in Cyprinus carpio, 191.07 and 88.13 in Carassius auratus gibelio, 145.7 and 70.85 in Alburnus alburnus and 117.92 and 60.68 µg/kg in Capoeta aculeata. The mean concentrations of lead and cadmium in total samples were 159.02 and 78.09 µg/kg, respectively. The mean concentration of cadmium in samples examined exceeded acceptable threshold established in the European Commission (EC). Lead and cadmium concentration in 10% and 57.5% of samples exceeded the tolerance limits established in EC respectively. The results showed that there is significant difference between cadmium levels in meat of fish species (P<0.05). The high concentration of cadmium and lead in fish meat is probably due to missusing of phosphate fertilizers in agriculture affairs and entry of agricultural sewage into the river.