Cadmium, Lead, Copper, Zinc, and Iron Concentration Patterns in Three Marine Fish Species from Two Different Mining Sites inside the Gulf of California, Mexico

Elisa Serviere-Zaragoza, Salvador E. Lluch-Cota, Alejandra Mazariegos-Villarreal, Eduardo F. Balart, Hugo Valencia-Valdez and Lia Celina Méndez-Rodríguez
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Elisa Serviere-Zaragoza: Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste (CIBNOR), Calle IPN 195, La Paz, Baja California Sur 23096, Mexico
Salvador E. Lluch-Cota: Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste (CIBNOR), Calle IPN 195, La Paz, Baja California Sur 23096, Mexico
Alejandra Mazariegos-Villarreal: Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste (CIBNOR), Calle IPN 195, La Paz, Baja California Sur 23096, Mexico
Eduardo F. Balart: Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste (CIBNOR), Calle IPN 195, La Paz, Baja California Sur 23096, Mexico
Hugo Valencia-Valdez: Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste (CIBNOR), Calle IPN 195, La Paz, Baja California Sur 23096, Mexico
Lia Celina Méndez-Rodríguez: Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste (CIBNOR), Calle IPN 195, La Paz, Baja California Sur 23096, Mexico

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 2, 1-18

Abstract: In the Gulf of California; mineral deposits have contributed to high metal contents in coastal environments. This study examined cadmium; lead; copper; zinc; and iron contents in three fish species; Kyphosus vaigiensis (herbivore), Stegastes rectifraenum (omnivore), and Balistes polylepis (carnivore) at two mining sites. Metal concentrations were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry and stable nitrogen and carbon isotopes were estimated using mass spectrophotometry. Also, we assessed the risk to human health from the consumption of these three species based on permissible limits; although only two of them ( Kyphosus and Balistes ) are consumed as food. Metal concentrations differed among fish species; except for iron. The highest concentrations of metals were not always recorded in the species at the highest trophic level; i.e., Balistes . The highest concentrations (dry weight) recorded were cadmium (0.21 ± 0.03 µg g −1 ) and lead (1.67 ± 0.26 µg g −1 ), in S. rectifraenum ; copper (1.60 ± 0.49 µg g −1 ) and zinc (67.30 ± 8.79 µg g −1 ), in B. polylepis ; and iron (27.06 ± 2.58 µg g −1 ), in K. vaigiensis . Our findings show that each element accumulates differently in particular marine organisms; depending on the physiology of the species and the biogeochemistry of its habitat; which in turn is affected by the anthropogenic activities in adjacent areas. No risk of heavy metals toxicity is expected from the human consumption of the species and sites studied

Keywords: Balistes; Kyphosus; Stegastes; trace elements; stable isotopes; phosphorite mining; copper mining (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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