ACCUMULATION OF SOME TRACE METALS AND FLUORIDE IN ECONOMICALLY IMPOTANT FISH SPECIES FROM COASTAL WATERS OF ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT DURING SUMMER 2006

ACCUMULATION OF SOME TRACE METALS AND FLUORIDE
IN ECONOMICALLY IMPOTANT FISH SPECIES FROM
COASTAL WATERS OF ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT DURING
SUMMER 2006
GHADA FAROUK EL-SAID AND DOAA HASSAN YOUSSEF
Environmental Division, National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Kayet Bay, ElAnfoushy, Alexandria, Egypt
[email protected]
Keywords: Fish tissues, Trace metals, Fluoride, Mediterranean Coast, Egypt.
ABSTRACT
Concentrations of trace metals (Zn, Fe, Ni, Mn , Cu, Cd , Co and Cr) and fluoride were
determined in different organs (brain, muscle, liver and skin) of some economically
important fish species from three of the most important fishing localities of the Alexandria
coastal water (Abu-Qir bay, the Eastern Harbour, and El-Mex bay) during summer 2006.
Our results show that there is a preferential accumulation of metals by different organs.
Liver is a target organ for Cu accumulation (0.40 – 58.40 µg/g wet wt), whereas the brain
tissue clearly accumulates more levels of Zn (21.16 – 1042.4 µg/g wet wt) than the other
studied metals. Amongst the studied organs, the flesh tissue nearly accumulated the lowest
levels of some of the investigated elements especially those of Fe, Zn and fluoride (2.95 –
12.47 µg/g wet wt, 4.82 – 13.54 µg/g wet wt, respectively) and (8.17 – 15.83 µg/g wet wt).
Metal Pollution Index (MPI) and Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake for Cu and Cd
(PTWI) were calculated and discussed. The levels of trace metals and fluoride in the edible
parts of the investigated fish were in the permissible safety levels for human uses.