Bioaccumulation of potentially toxic elements in fish species from aquatic environments located in crowded areas of southern Romania

Abstract

Taking into consideration that fish are valuable bioindicators for assessing pollution with potentially toxic elements (PTEs) such as heavy metals from aquatic environments, this study aimed to assess bioaccumulation factors in relation to water (BAF) and sediment (BASF) for the following potential toxic elements: Cd, Pb, Hg, Cu, Cr, Ni and Zn from 6 different fish species (Alburnus alburnus, Carassius gibelio, Scardinius erythrophthalmus, Ameiurus nebulosus, Perca fluviatilis, Lepomis gibbosus). Fish species have been captured from the waters of the Arges River (Hotarele village area) and the Colentina River (particularly from Mogosoaia, Herastrau and Panteliom lakes), from crowded areas located in the southern part of Romania. The results of the analysis indicated BAF values > 1 for the most fish species captured from the Colentina River. BASF values > 1 were obtained for BASFPb (Carassius gibelio - Arges River), BASFNi (Scardinius erythrophthalmus - Herastaru L. and Perca fluviatillis - Pantelimon L.), BASFCr (Perca fluviatillis - Pantelimon L.) and BASFZn (Alburnus alburnus and Scardinius erythrophthalmus - Mogosoaia L. and Carassius gibelio - Pantelimon L.). The obtained results can be used to describe the transfer of these elements from water and sediments to the fish tissue.
 

Investigation of some useful chemical parameters in Shea tree (Vitelaria paradoxa) nut wastewater collected after extraction of the butter: prospects of Shea butter waste valorization

“…These elements are all important nutrients that have also been reported in shea butter (Fernande et al, 2014). Most of these elements could also be contaminants that do not easily degrade (Ionescu et al, 2019). Inappropriate disposal of the wastewater would therefore result in transfer of metals from the waste into soil and subsequent leaching (Keith et al, 2008).…”

“…BOD has been used as an indicator of amount of organic pollutants in most aquatic systems, and especially a good indicator for biodegradable organic compounds (Kwak et al, 2013). Factors such as pH, temperature, hardness, and total organic content impact on the accumulation of chemicals in aquatic environment (Ionescu et al, 2019). From the analyses, various levels of iron, calcium, magnesium, copper, nickel, zinc, and lead were found in the shea wastewater (Table 2).…”

“…Lead and nickel, though toxic, are known to have high fire and water-resistive properties (Valko et al, 2005;Briffa et al, 2020). However, at high concentrations it becomes one of the most toxic elements (Ionescu et al, 2019). Zinc is indispensable for plant growth and development and thus very essential in microorganisms, plants and animals.…”

“…Zinc is indispensable for plant growth and development and thus very essential in microorganisms, plants and animals. Excess zinc is however toxic (Ionescu et al, 2019;Mustapha and Muhammad, 2020). Concentration of dissolved calcium and magnesium ions in water contributes to hardness, a very important property for life processes (Mustapha and Muhammad, 2020) and some industrial processes.…”

Non-Lethal Assessment of Land Use Change Effects in Water and Soil of Algerian Riparian Areas along the Medjerda River through the Biosentinel Bufo spinosus Daudin

“…where Ct is the metal content in the toad's skin, and Ce is the available content of the same element in the specific environmental compartment, soil (BFs), or water (BFw) [55]. Three classes of bioaccumulation were possible: BF > 1 means that the toad skin can be regarded as an accumulator; BF < 1 means that it acts like an excluder, and BF = 1 means that there is no influence [56].…”