Research article

Bioaccumulation and Bioconcentration of cadmium and arsenic in the organs of endemic fish toothed carp (Aphanius sophiae)

Masoumeh Ariyaee¹, Sohrab Ashrafi¹, Manoochehr Khazaee¹, Amir Hossein Hamidian¹*, Soheil Eagderi², Borhan Mansouri³

¹Department of Environment, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran

²Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran

³Young Researchers and Elite Club, Kermanshah Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah, Iran

*Corresponding Author E-mail: a.hamidian@ut.ac.ir

Accepted 23 April 2014

Abstract

The aims of this study was to investigate the pattern of bioaccumulation and bioconcentration factor of cadmium and arsenic in livers, gills and muscles of endemic fish toothed carp (Aphanius sophiae) exposed to three treatments of cadmium (5, 10 and 20 mg/L) and three treatments of arsenic (5, 10 and 20 mg/L) for a period of 18 days. From Jun to August 2011, Toothed carp (Aphanius sophiae) with average weight (+SD) of 9.5 (± 0.3) g and average length of 7.6 (± 0.4) cm were received from Eshtehard Shoor river in Karaj city. Cadmium and arsenic was assayed using ICP-OES instrument and the results were given as mg/g wet weight. This finding showed that the accumulation patterns of cadmium and arsenic are in the following order: liver > gill > muscle. The bioconcentration factor in all concentrations of cadmium and arsenic are in the following order: liver > gill > muscle. The results indicated that the target organ for accumulation of cadmium and arsenic is liver.

Keywords: Toxicity, sub-lethal dose, fish organ, freshwater fish