Elements Content in Otolith as Pollution Indicator for Cultured Sea Bass (Lates calcarifer) of Malaysia

Abstract

Otoliths of cultured sea bass and ambient waters were sampled from 24 fish cages and ponds in Malaysia to investigate the contents of Sr, Mg, Ba, Cd and Zn. The following elements content in otolith and water were analysed with Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS) and/or Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS) to determine the anthropogenic impacts based on the grouping characterisation of the sampling locations. Three groups i.e. A, B and C were characterised according to the least, intermediate and high anthropogenic impact to otolith elemental content. The Enrichment Factor (EF) and Metal Pollution Index (MPI) were calculated to determine the pollution source and level. The content of Ba in otolith was found positively related with the salinity variation and Ba content in water. Elevated content of Zn in otolith and water was found in group A suggesting that oil leaking from tourist boating activities effects exceed the urbanisation and industrialisation impact. EF Zn support the enrichment of Zn in waters which exceed the recommended level. MPI showed that group A > C > B and support that tourism activities affect the pollution level and indicate otolith functioned as pollution indicator. Highest EF Cd suggested Cd incorporation onto otolith despite of the low content of Cd in water. The sequence of the elements content in otolith and water are Sr > Mg > Zn > Ba > Cd and Sr > Mg > Ba > Zn > Cd respectively.

Distribution of Chromium and Gallium in the Total Suspended Solid and Surface Sediments of Sungai Kelantan, Kelantan, Malaysia

“…In the laboratory, the water sample was filtered using pre-weighed glass fibre filter paper (D = 47 mm, Φ = 0.45 mm) and dried until constant weight. Filter paper containing TSS was digested with mixture of 10 mL of nitric acid (HNO 3 ), 5 mL of perchloric acid (HClO 4 ) and 1 mL of hydrofluoric acid (HF) for 2 h in Teflon beaker at 120°C (Daud et al 2013;Sarimin & Mohamed 2012;Yusoff et al 2015). The concentrations of chromium and gallium were determined using the Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS).…”

Metals content in otoliths of Dicentrarchus labrax from two fish farms of Sicily

“…Our results show that Zn/Ca ratio is the only element with a higher value in otoliths from Trappeto's farm. Zn concentration in otoliths appears to be related to pollution from terrestrial areas (Sarimin and Mohamed 2012). In the Castellammare Gulf, the coastal waters are impacted by industrial discharges coming from a distillery located on the Piana of Partinico, and as reported by different studies, this kind of industrial waste is contaminated by heavy metals such as Cr, Ni, and Zn (Pandey et al 2008;Kannan and Upreti 2008).…”

“…Particularly, total length (TL), standard length (SL), and total weight (TW) were measured by using a balance and an ichtiometer, respectively (Table 1). Fish head were cut horizontally parallel to the preopercle in order to expose the sagittal otolith (Sarimin and Mohamed 2012). The right sagitta was extracted from sea bass specimens using plastic forceps and cleaned with deionized water.…”

“…Otolith chemical composition has been actually widely used to discriminate different stocks and connectivity of populations (Campana and Thorrold 2001;Campana et al 2000;Gillanders 2001;Gillanders and Kingsford 2000;Rooker et al 2003), to reconstruct environmental histories and migratory patterns of fish (Kafemann et al 2000;Secor and Rooker 2000;Tsukamoto and Arai 2001;Thorrold et al 1997;Patterson 1999;Gillanders and Kingsford 2000;Campana et al 2000), to certificate natal nursery habitats of the adults (Rooker and Secor 2004;Thorrold et al 1997;Patterson 1999;Campana et al 2000;Gillanders and Kingsford 2000;Zimmerman 2005;Yang et al 2006;Brown and Severin 2008), and recently as proxy of marine pollution (Sarimin and Mohamed 2012;Gagnon 2008b, 2010;Saquet et al 2002;Yamashita et al 2000;Bath et al 2000;Elsdon and Gillanders 2003).…”