Heavy metal contamination in fish and water from cassiporé river Basin, state of Amapá, Brazil

Abstract

Heavy metals participate in chemical reactions of fish metabolism, which makes these elements a major focus on contamination studies. The objective of this study was to determine the concentrations of heavy metals Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn and Hg in muscle tissue of fish of Cassiporé River Basin (State of Amapá) and environment, aiming at assessing the risk of contamination. The concentrations of Cd in Plagioscion squamosissimus (1.061 μg g-1) and Pb in Poptella compressa (4.280 μg g-1) had values that exceed the boundaries established by Brazilian law. The Cr concentration in P. compressa (0.937 ± 0.5 μg g-1), Pimelodella cristata (0.463 ± 0.03 μg g-1) and Cyphocharax gouldingi (0.364 ± 0.12 μg g-1) and Hg in P. squamosissimus (0.670 μg g-1), Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum (0.630 μg g-1), Hoplias malabaricus (0.570 μg g-1 e Serrasalmus rhombeus (0.548 μg g-1) were above the legal limit. The water column showed high concentrations of heavy metals in all analyzed points, showing a contamination of this river basin. Therefore, the high concentrations of heavy metals in the environment and muscle tissue of fish indicate a high degree of contamination in the Cassiporé river basin and risk to human health.