Heavy Metals (Cu, Pb, Cd, Zn) Monitoring In Waters Of The Shahid Beheshti Sturgeon Hatchery, Rasht, Iran

Abstract

The presence of heavy metals; copper (Cu), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn) in water was monitored during different stages of breeding and rearing of Acipenser persicus at the Shahid Beheshti Sturgeon Hatchery. Water samples were collected (3 samples from each point) from the main pond, Kurenski pond, incubators, vniro tanks, earthen ponds and at the river estuary where fingerlings are released into the sea. Water parameters such as pH and water and air temperature were measured and recorded at the time of sampling. Heavy metal concentrations in water samples were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer FAAS-Varian AA-220. In the present study the distribution pattern for heavy metal concentrations in different stages of breeding and rearing was as follows: Zn>Cu>Pb>Cd. Highest concentrations of heavy metals belonged to the element Zn (36.0±3.6 ppb) which was determined in the water sample collected from the inlet of master pond. Lowest concentration for Zn recorded was 0.98±0.26 ppb. Highest concentration for Cu was 10.5±1.18 ppb and the lowest concentration for this element was 0.65±0.26 ppb. The highest and lowest concentrations recorded for lead were 9.33±1.19 and 0.15 ±0.01 ppb, respectively, while those for cadmium were 0.116±0.019 and 0.016±0.003 ppb, respectively. The results obtained indicate the presence heavy metals studied in the water samples although they were lower than the maximum permissible concentration for these pollutants for the breeding and rearing of Acipenser persicus in sturgeon hatcheries.