Perch and Its Parasites as Heavy Metal Biomonitors in a Freshwater Environment: The Case Study of the Ružín Water Reservoir, Slovakia

Abstract

Heavy metal concentrations were determined in 43 perches (Perca fluviatilis) and in two of its most common parasites, the acanthocephalan Acanthocephalus lucii and the cestode Proteocephalus percae, collected in the period 2009–2010 from Ružín, a seriously polluted water reservoir in Slovakia. Samples of muscle, liver, kidney, brain, male and female reproductive organs and adipose tissue of fish and both parasites were analyzed for As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn, by ICP-MS. Mean concentrations of individual heavy metals in all fish samples decreased in the order zinc > copper > manganese > mercury > arsenic > chromium > cadmium > nickel > lead. Zinc was found to be the dominant element and its antagonistic interaction with copper was confirmed. The kidney was a key target organ receiving the highest mean concentrations of all analyzed metals, but some metals showed specific affinity for particular tissues. In terms of human health, concentration of Hg in fish muscle, which exceeded more than two-times its maximum level admitted in foodstuffs in European countries, is of great importance and should be taken into account. Bioaccumulation factors (C[parasite]/C[fish tissue]) calculated for all elements indicated much higher detection skills of A. lucii and P. percae parasites than fish organs and hence, present results allow proposing both parasite models as useful tools to monitor aquatic environmental quality. Acanthocephalans, however, seem to be superior for heavy metal monitoring, also demonstrated under experimental conditions. Present results also indicate the decreasing heavy metal burden of the reservoir and its gradual recovery in the course of time.

The system Tetrabothrius bassani (Tetrabothriidae)/Morus bassanus (Sulidae) as a bioindicator of marine heavy metal pollution

“…Lower metal contents in fish hosting helminth parasites in comparison to fish without parasites have been described in other studies (Malek et al 2007, Brázová et al 2012. Even though the toxic element concentrations reported in the present set of gannets were not compared to those from another set of not infected specimens, the present data concur with the possible antagonistic effect of simultaneously occurring parasites and pollutants, since parasites seem to act as heavy metal filters or sinks removing them from host tissues (Sures 2008).…”

“…High bioaccumulation factors have been reported in parasite/host systems involving acanthocephalans of fish (Sures and Taraschewski 1995, Sures et al 2005, Brázová et al 2012, Jankovska et al 2012. Cestodes have been also found to accumulate relatively high amounts of heavy metals and therefore several cestode/fish systems were also proposed as useful indicators of heavy metal pollution in the aquatic environment (Jirsa et al 2008, Eira et al 2009, Brázová et al 2012.…”

Concentrations of 18 Elements in Muscle, Liver, Gills, and Gonads of Sichel (Pelecus cultratus), Ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernua), and European Perch (Perca fluviatilis) in the Danube River near Belgrade (Serbia)

“…Cd content in perch liver tissue (1.22 mg kg −1 ww) detected by Voigt (2007) is much higher than we detected, and the same author also found lower contents of Hg in both muscle (0.22 mg kg −1 ww) and liver (0.12 mg kg −1 ww) tissue. A comprehensive study of element content in perch tissues is given by Brázová et al (2012). Samples from Ružín water reservoir (Slovakia) had a higher content of Cd in liver, as well as Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, and Zn, in muscle and liver.…”

Host-parasite relationships as determinants of heavy metal concentrations in perch (Perca fluviatilis) and its intestinal parasite infection

“…Sures (2004), Vidal-Martínez et al (2010) and Brázová et al (2012)). Some parasitic organisms can provide information about the chemical state of the natural environment by changes in their abundance or in the parasite community structure (Gelnar et al, 1997;Blanar et al, 2009), while other species can serve as indicators of environmental hazards by variations of pollutant concentrations in their tissues (Sures et al, 1999a).…”