Bioaccumulation of mercury, cadmium, zinc, chromium, and lead in muscle, liver, and spleen tissues of a large commercially valuable catfish species from Brazil

Abstract

The increasing amounts of heavy metals entering aquatic environments can result in high accumulation levels of these contaminants in fi sh and their consumers, which pose a serious risk to ecosystems and human health. We investigated the concentrations of mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), chromium (Cr), and lead (Pb) in muscle, liver, and spleen tissues of Pseudoplatystoma corruscans specimens collected from two sites on the Paraopeba River, Brazil. The level of heavy metals concentrations in the tissues was often higher in viscera (i.e. liver and spleen) than in muscle, and thus, the viscera should not be considered for human consumption. Correlations between metal concentrations and fi sh size were not signifi cant. Although the levels of muscle bioaccumulation of Hg, Cd, Zn, Cr, and Pb, generally do not exceed the safe levels for human consumption, the constant presence of heavy metals in concentrations near those limits considered safe for human consumption, is a reason for concern, and populations who constantly consume fi sh from polluted rivers should be warned. Our fi ndings also indicate that in a river network where certain areas are connected to other areas with high rates of environmental pollutants, people should be cautious about the regular consumption of fi sh, even when the fi sh consumed are caught in stretches of the basin where contamination levels are considered low, since many of the freshwater fi sh with high commercial value, such as the catfi sh surubim, are migratory.

Antagonistic effects of selenium on lead-induced autophagy by influencing mitochondrial dynamics in the spleen of chickens

“…Autophagy is one of the crucial cellular mechanisms for organism, in which mTOR negatively regulates the induction of autophagy [11]. Corsetti et al (2016) reported that spleen is one of the target organs of Pb toxicity; excessive exposure to Pb may induce autophagy in the spleen [12]; in fishes, spleen exhibits a high content of Pb and histopathological alterations when treated by Pb [13]. Additionally, the evidence convinced that mitochondrial fission could promote mitochondrial autophagy in mouse embryonic fibroblasts, human fibroblasts, and cardiac cells [14–16]; in adult cardiomyocytes, Drp1, a GTPase, regulates mitochondrial fission, and mediates autophagy [17]; the overexpression of the OPA1 decreases mitochondrial autophagy in mice [14].…”

Lead (Pb) and Cadmium (Cd) contents in mangrove crab Scylla serrata collected from several traditional markets in Medan City, Indonesia

“…The accumulation rate of heavy metals in the body of an organism depends on its concentration in waters, temperature, species and physiological condition (Mu'nisa and Nurham, 2010) and feeding habits of the animal (Sarong et al, 2013). However, the highest metal accumulation is usually in liver and kidney (Arantes et al, 2016). Generally the content of heavy metals in water and muscles is usually lower than the sediments.…”

Determination of Heavy Metals in Urine of Patients and Tissue of Corpses by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy

“…However, heavy metals determination in human kidney, liver and lungs are very scarce as compared to that of animal's specimen. For example, there were reports on heavy metals in: the livers and kidneys of slaughtered cattle, sheep and goats [16,17]; liver, kidney and meat of beef (cow), mutton (sheep), caprine (goat) and chicken [18]; blood and various organs (lung, liver, kidney and cerebral cortex) of rats [19]; muscle, liver, and spleen tissues of a large commercially valuable catfish species from Brazil [20]; and a one-time high dose oral administration of heavy metals mixture (HMMs) induced systemic toxicity in rats [21] have also been reported. However, few cases of studies of heavy metals in human kidney [22]; 10 autopsied human organs (liver, kidney, cerebrum, heart, spleen, lung, bone, blood, hair and nail) of Koreans [23] and the liver tissues of autopsy cases in Ankara, Turkey [24] have been investigated.…”