Author(s)

Abdolmajid Doraghi, Fazel Abdolahpur Monikh, Alireza Safahieh, Ahmad Savari

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Fish in estuaries, especially those live near petrochemical area, may be exposed to various kinds of contaminants such as heavy metals. This study was to investigate the variations of heavy metals in Liza abu from the Musa estuary which receives petrochemical wastes. Fish samples were obtained from five different creeks. The samples were dissected into liver, gill and muscle, acid digested and their heavy metals level were analyzed. The results showed that the concentration of Cd, Co, Cu, Ni and Pb in muscle ranged 0.08-0.44, ND-1.63, 0.89 - 4.28, 0.48 - 2.73 and 0.5 - 2.50 (µg/g) respectively. Their concentrations in liver were 0.44 - 2.03, 0.5 - 2.80, 5.05 - 36.22, 0.48 - 4.91 and 0.66 - 5.74 (µg/g) respectively. The concentration of these metals in gill was 0.32 - 2.72, 0.29 - 1.10, 4.33 - 6.03, 4.61 - 17.52 and 2.64 - 21.41 (µg/g) respectively. Generally, the level of heavy metals in muscle tissue of Liza abu was lower than the general standard.

Wastewater, Khor-Jafari, Khor-Ghazale, Liver, Muscle

A. Doraghi, F. Monikh, A. Safahieh and A. Savari, "Heavy Metals Concentration in Mullet Fish, Liza abu from Petrochemical Waste Receiving Creeks, Musa Estuary (Persian Gulf)," Journal of Environmental Protection, Vol. 2 No. 9, 2011, pp. 1218-1226. doi: 10.4236/jep.2011.29140.