Trace metals (Cu, Cd, Zn, and Pb) in the liver and the kidney of Acipenser persicus with relation to their concentrations in the surficial sediment of the west coast of the southern Caspian Sea

Abstract

This study was carried out to find any relative concentrations of the trace metals (Cu, Cd, Zn and Pb) in the liver and the kidney of Acipenser persicus and in the surficial sediments of the west coast of The Southern Caspian Sea. Twenty five samples of the Acipenser persicus (Persian sturgeon) and ten samples of the sediments were taken from five fishing stations in autumn 2001. The tissues were digested by wet method and the sediments were digested by dry method. Every digested sample was separately analysed by AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy). Recovery, mean, ANOVA, correlation coefficient and hierarchical cluster analysis were calculated. It was concluded that the concentrations of the studied trace metals (Cu, Cd, Zn and Pb) were at the standard level and there was a positive correlation coefficient between the kidney and the liver in the concentrations of Cd and Pb.