Sciences marines : recherche et développement

Abstrait

The Levels of Toxic Metals in Blue Crab Portunus segnis from Persian Gulf

Mehdi Hosseini, Seyed Mohammad Bagher Nabavi, Jamileh Pazooki and Yaghoob Parsa

Levels of heavy metals Ni, Co, Cd and Pb( in muscle, gill and hepatopancreas of blue swimming crab P. segnis and relationship with its food source from Persian Gulf, were investigated. In this study, there was a direct relationship between heavy metals levels in tissues crabs with organisms that feeding on them. Female crabs feed on plant and detritus and are close to bottom sediment and receive more sediment associated metals. Also, there was a positive correlation between metal concentrations in tissues with size of food items. Heavy metal concentrations were highest in female hepatopancreas whereas lowest in the muscle of all crab species. From the human consumption point of view, Heavy metals concentrations were below the admissible limits except for hepatopancreas of female crabs. Thus, precautions should be taken on account of higher content of metals as well as in other organs that could be affected by industrial pollution.