Heavy metals in fishes from Culiacan Valley, Sinaloa, Mexico

Abstract

Levels of Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn were evaluated in edible muscle, gill and viscera of the fishes Mugil curema and Tilapia mossambica, collected in April 1988 from the Chiricahueto and Bataoto lagoons and Culiacán River, on the northwestem coast of Mexico. In general, the highest concentrations were found in the fishes from Chiricahueto lagoon and the lowest in fishes from the Culiacán River. The levels observed were compared with those reported for other areas in the same species or genus. The Cu concentrations in the edible muscle of T. mossambica for this study (5.6 µg/g) were twofold than the levels found in Mexicali Valley, Baja California, Mexico (2.6 µg/g). The Cu levels in edible muscle of M. curema (6.3 µg/g) were threefold than the Cu levels of Mugil cephalus (1.9 µg/g) reported for the Miami coast. Although the Cu levels were relatively high, they did not exceed those established by the Intemational Public Health Legislation.