Bioaccumulation of heavy metals in Liza saliens from the Esmoriz-Paramos coastal lagoon, Portugal.

Heavy metal (Cu and Zn) concentrations in liver, gills, and muscle of leaping grey mullet, Liza saliens, from the Portuguese Esmoriz-Paramos coastal lagoon were measured to evaluate their bioaccumulation as a function of sediment contamination. The highest metal concentrations were observed in the liver (254 mg Cu kg(-1)) and gills (114 mg Zn kg(-1)). Bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) were found to follow the order: Cu-liver>Cu-gills>Cu-muscle and Zn-gills>Zn-liver>Zn-muscle. The highest BAFs were observed in the organs mainly implicated in metal metabolism and a significant positive relationship was found between BAFs and fish age. These results suggest the loss of homeostatic capacity of L. saliens under chronic metal exposure leading to bioaccumulation. Furthermore, Cu-liver and Zn-gills accumulation can be good environmental indicators of metal stress in L. saliens.