Abstract

The concentrations of heavy metals (Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn) were measured in muscle, gill and liver of two fish species (Leuciscus cephalus and Lepomis gibbosus) caught from Saricay, South-West Anatolia. Levels of metals varied depending on different tissues in species. The mean concentrations (μg g−1 wet weight) of heavy metals in tissues of Leucis cephalus were as follows: Cd: 0.010–0.084, Co: nd–0.131, Cu: 0.193–2.611, Fe: 4.240–172.000, Mn: 0.112–24.230, Pb: 0.068–0.874, Zn: 6.350–28.550, and in tissues of Lepomis gibbosus were as follows; Cd: 0.008–0.082, Co: nd–0.233, Cu: 0.065–4.360, Fe: 11.200–125.000, Mn: nd–12.434, Pb: 0.070–0.920, Zn: 6.540–16.064. Ni was not determined in all organs studied. The results show that the metal accumulation in tissues of the both Leuciscus cephalus and Lepomis gibbosus indicates a similar variation between two stations, one of which is located (Saricay-II) after waste water discharging point and the other one (Saricay-I) before. Therefore, we conclude that there is no heavy metal adding source in Saricay-II. In general, the differences between the mean metal concentrations of tissues of two fish species were statistically significant (p ⩽ 0.05) for most of the measured metals. The concentrations are below the limits for fish proposed by FAO/WHO, EU and Turkish Food Codes and safe within the limits for human consumption in the edible parts of fish species in the region. The results obtained in this study were compared with those reported in earlier studies.