Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Assessment of Mercury Contamination in Perch Species in the Southern Caspian Sea

  • Published:
Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Mercury is a heavy metal that has caused concern regarding the health of fish and of those who consume them. In this research, the concentrations of mercury in the muscle tissues of zander and European perch from Anzali were measured using a graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometer (GFAAS). The average concentrations of mercury in the muscle of the zander and European perch were 244 and 105 µg/kg dry weight, respectively. A nonsignificant positive correlation between morphological parameters and mercury values was observed for both species (P > 0.05). The concentrations of mercury accumulated in the two fish species were lower than the values recorded in most similar studies, and were below the permissible limit provided by the National Iranian Standards Organization, FAO, WHO, US EPA, EC, and US FDA. In addition, the HQ value was less than one. Therefore, in general, this research indicates that exposure to mercury does not threaten the health of these species and their consumers.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abadi M, Zamani A, Parizanganeh A et al (2017) Mercury concentration in water and fish samples along south coast of The Caspian Sea. J Health Environ 10:329–338

    Google Scholar 

  • Ahmadi Kordestani Z, Hamidian A, Hosseini SV, Ashrafi S (2013) Risk assessment of mercury due to consumption of edible aquatic species. J Mar Biol 5:63–70

    Google Scholar 

  • Akbarzadeh A, Karami M, Nezami SHA et al (2008) A comparative study of morphometric and meristic characters of pikeperch Sander lucioperca (L.) in Iranian waters of Caspian Sea and Aras Dam Lake. J Biol Sci Promot 22:535–545

    Google Scholar 

  • Alahabadi A, Malvandi H (2018) Contamination and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals and metalloids in surface sediments of the Tajan River, Iran. Mar Pollut Bull 133:741–749. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.06.030

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Alidoust S, Esmaeili Sari A, Bahramifar N (2015) Bioaccumulation of total and organic mercury in goldfish (Carassius auratus gibelio) in Anzali Wetland, and assessment of health risks. J Maz Univ Med Sci 24:242–252

    Google Scholar 

  • Ashja Ardalan A, Sohrabi MR, Mirheydari SM, Abdollah Beigi A (2009) Determination of Hg, Pb, Zn, Cu in muscle and liver of tissue of European perch (Perca fluviatilis) in areas of Abkenar and Sheyjan of Anzali Lagoon in spring. J Mar Sci Technol 4:48–60

    Google Scholar 

  • Astani E, Vahedpour M, Babaei H (2016) Organic and total mercury concentration in fish muscle and thermodynamic study of organic mercury extraction in fish protein. Ecopersia 4:1517–1526. https://doi.org/10.18869/modares.ecopersia.4.3.1517

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barghi M, Behrooz RD, Esmaili Sari A, Ghasempouri SM (2012) Mercury exposure assessment in iranian pregnant women’s hair with respect to diet, amalgam filling, and lactation. Biol Trace Elem Res 148:292–301

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bravo AG, Cosio C, Amouroux D et al (2014) Extremely elevated methyl mercury levels in water, sediment and organisms in a Romanian Reservoir affected by release of mercury from a chlor-alkali plant. Water Res 49:391–405. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2013.10.024

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ershad Langroudi H, Poursaeed S, Falahatkar B et al (2012) Induced reproduction of pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) using pituitary extract, HCG and LHRHA2. J Fish 6:77–84

    Google Scholar 

  • Gentès S, Maury-Brachet R, Guyoneaud R et al (2013) Mercury bioaccumulation along food webs in temperate aquatic ecosystems colonized by aquatic macrophytes in south western France. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 91:180–187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2013.02.001

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gharaei A, Esmaeli Sari S, Ghasempouri M (2015) Survey of mercury bioaccumulation in golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), chukar partridge (Perdix chukar) and great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), related to feed ecology. J Vet Res Biol Prod 28:14–19

    Google Scholar 

  • Ghasemzadeh G, Esmaeli Sari A, Sharifpour I et al (2010) Mercury bioaccumulation in pike (Esox lucius) from Anzali lagoon, Iran. J Iran Sci Fish 19:97–110

    Google Scholar 

  • Ghazban F, Zare Khosh Eghbal M (2011) Source of heavy metal pollutions in the sediments of the Anzali Wetland in northern Iran. J Environ Stud 37:1–12

    Google Scholar 

  • Gheytasi A, Hosseini S, Ahmadi Kordestani Z et al (2014) Determination of allowable levels of mercury in canned yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares). Fish Iran J Nat Resour 67:287–296

    Google Scholar 

  • Gholami S, Falahatkar B, Efatpanah I, Meknatkhah B (2018) Growth trend and food regime of juvenile pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) in earthen ponds. J Fish 71:131–139

    Google Scholar 

  • Janatmakan S, Askary SA, Javaheri BM, Velayatzadeh M (2015) Association of mercury, cadmium and arsenic bioaccumulation with the chemical compositions of Liza auratus muscle in Anzali wetland. J Food Hyg 4:19–30

    Google Scholar 

  • Jirsa F, Pirker D, Krachler R, Keppler BK (2014) Total mercury in sediments, macrophytes, and fish from a shallow steppe lake in eastern Austria. Chem Biodivers 11:1263–1275. https://doi.org/10.1002/cbdv.201400172

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Khara H, Nezami S, Sattari M et al (2005) Occuranee and intensity of parasites from perch (Perca fluviatilis, L. 1785) in Amirkelaieh wetland of Lahijan (Caspian basin—Iran). Pajouhesh & Sazandegi 67:92–103

    Google Scholar 

  • Khoshnamvand M, Kaboodvandpour S (2012) Assessment of total mercury bioaccumulation in white and red muscle and liver tissues of Cyprinus carpio collected from Sanandaj Gheshlagh Reservoir. Iran Sci Fish J 21:79–88

    Google Scholar 

  • Koshafar A, Velayatzadeh M (2016) Risk assessment to consumers from mercury in Acanthopagrus latus. J Food Hyg 6:21–33

    Google Scholar 

  • Lepak JM, Hooten MB, Eagles-Smith CA et al (2016) Assessing potential health risks to fish and humans using mercury concentrations in inland fish from across western Canada and the United States. Sci Total Environ 571:342–354. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.03.031

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Łuczyńska J, Łuczyński MJ, Paszczyk B, Tońska E (2016) Concentration of mercury in muscles of predatory and non-predatory fish from lake Pluszne (Poland). J Vet Res 60:43–47. https://doi.org/10.1515/jvetres-2016-0007

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mahmoud MAM, Abdel-mohseni H (2015) Health risk assessment of heavy metals for egyptian population via consumption of poultry edibles. Adv Anim Vet Sci 3:58–70. https://doi.org/10.14737/journal.aavs/2015/3.1.58.70

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Malvandi H (2017) Preliminary evaluation of heavy metal contamination in the Zarrin-Gol River sediments, Iran. Mar Pollut Bull 117:547–553. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.02.035

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Malvandi H, Alahabadi A (2019) Evaluation of potential human health risk due to the exposure to mercury via fish consumption of Alosa spp. from the southern Caspian Sea. Mar Pollut Bull 143:66–71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.04.042

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Malvandi H, Hassanzadeh N (2018) Environmental and ecological risk evaluation of heavy metals in surface sediments of the CheshmeKile River, Mazandaran. Iran J Health Environ 11:419–432

    Google Scholar 

  • Malvandi H, Ghasempouri SM, Esmaili-Sari A, Bahramifar N (2010) Evaluation of the suitability of application of golden jackal (Canis aureus) hair as a noninvasive technique for determination of body burden mercury. Ecotoxicology 19:997–1002. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-010-0504-1

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Malvandi H, Esmaili-Sari A, Aliabadian M (2014) Mercury contamination in Khramulia (Capoeta capoeta) from the Cheshme Kile and Zarrin Gol Rivers in Iran and human health risk assessment. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 93:472–477. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-014-1335-1

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mansouri Taee H, Ouraji H, Rahmani H et al (2012) A comparative study on different transition times from live food to artificial feed in the rearing of pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) larvae. J Fish 65:317–325

    Google Scholar 

  • Martínez-Salcido AI, Ruelas-Inzunza J, Gil-Manrique B et al (2018) Mercury levels in fish for human consumption from the Southeast gulf of California: tissue distribution and health risk assessment. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 74:273–283. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-017-0495-5

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Molaei Hashjin N, Dadras H (2014) An analysis of social and economic significance of villages around Anzali Lagoon. J Stud Hum Settl Plan 8:1–16

    Google Scholar 

  • Moreno CE, Fjeld E, Deshar MK, Lydersen E (2014) Seasonal variation of mercury and δ15 N in fish from lake heddalsvatn, Southern Norway. J Limnol 74:21–30

    Google Scholar 

  • Nejatkhah Manavi P, Mazumder A (2018) Potential risk of mercury to human health in three species of fish from the southern Caspian Sea. Mar Pollut Bull 130:1–5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.03.004

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Noroozi M (2017) Bioaccumulation study of toxic and essential metals in muscle, liver, and gills of Perca fluviatilis L. in Anzali wetland. J Wetl Ecobiol 9:57–68

    Google Scholar 

  • Okati N, Esmaili Sari A (2018) Hair mercury and risk assessment for consumption of contaminated seafood in residents from the coast of the Persian Gulf, Iran. Environ Sci Pollut Res 25:639–657. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-0432-1

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rasooli Kargar E, Rahimbashar MR, Falahatkar B (2014) Effects reciprocal of density and food regime in pike perch (Sander lucioperca) larvae culture. J Aquac Dev 8:53–63

    Google Scholar 

  • Rezaeipandari H, Keshavarz Mohammadi N (2014) Barriers to fish consumption and it’s influencing factors: a comprehensive overview of the relevant evidence in Iran and in the world. J Health Field 2:46–59

    Google Scholar 

  • Sadeghi Rad M (1997) Heavy metal determination in fish species of Anzali lagoon. J Iran Sci Fish 5:1–16

    Google Scholar 

  • Sakizadeh M, Esmaili-Sari A, Abdoli A et al (2012) Determination of polychlorinated biphenyls and total mercury in two fish species (Esox lucius and Carassius auratus) in Anzali Wetland, Iran. Environ Monit Assess 184:3231–3237

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Salehi Borban S, Gharachorloo M, Zamani F (2017) Check amount of heavy metals in muscle and fish oil Rutilus frisii kutum, Clupeonella cultriventris and Liza saliens. J Food Hyg 6:77–89

    Google Scholar 

  • Sinka Karimi MH, Donyavi R, Sadeghi-Bajgiran S (2015) Consumption limit for Caspian with fish in stand of cadmium and lead from Southeastern coast of Caspian Sea. Zanco J Med Sci 16:32–43

    Google Scholar 

  • Tabatabaie T, Ghomi MR, Amiri F, Zamani-Ahmadmahmoodi R (2011) Comparative study of mercury accumulation in two fish species, (Cyprinus carpio and Sander lucioperca) from Anzali and Gomishan wetlands in the southern coast of the Caspian Sea. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 87:674–677. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-011-0413-x

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Varol M, Kaya GK, Alp A (2017) Heavy metal and arsenic concentrations in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) farmed in a Dam reservoir on the Firat (Euphrates) River: risk-based consumption advisories. Sci Total Environ 599:1288–1296

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu X, Newman MC (2015) Mercury exposure as a function of fish consumption in two Asian communities in coastal Virginia, USA. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 68:462–475. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-014-0102-y

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ziyaadini M, Mehdinia A, Yousofiyanpour Z (2015) Assessment of Chiton lamyi mollusk as a biological indicator of heavy metals such as Cd, Cu, As and Hg in the coast of Chabahar Bay. J Mar Sci Technol 14:56–66

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The author is grateful to Mr. Ali Mohammadi, fisherman and fish seller, for their assistance in collecting fish samples. Special thanks are given to Professor Ann V. Paterson who improved the draft and added valuable comments to the manuscript. This work was part of a research project supported by Iran National Science Foundation-Science deputy of presidency through grant No. 96008256.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Hakim Sabzevari University, 379 Post Box, Sabzevar, Khorasan Razavi, 9617916487, Iran

    Hassan Malvandi, Mina Sarvary Korojdeh & Somaye Azimi

  2. Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box 319, Sabzevar, Khorasan Razavi, Iran

    Hassan Malvandi

Authors
  1. Hassan Malvandi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mina Sarvary Korojdeh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Somaye Azimi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hassan Malvandi.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

Approval from the institutional animal care committee was not required, because samples of fish caught in local markets and fishing ports were used for this study. In other words, the specimens of the animals studied were not merely captured for the purpose of this study but were captured by fishermen for human consumption, and then the authors purchased them for this study. As a result, the method used in this study was in no way painful or invasive for the animals.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Malvandi, H., Sarvary Korojdeh, M. & Azimi, S. Assessment of Mercury Contamination in Perch Species in the Southern Caspian Sea. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 79, 147–155 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-020-00730-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-020-00730-1

Search

Navigation