Assessing of heavy metal concentrations in the tissues of Rutilus rutilus caspicus and Neogobius gorlap from Miankaleh international wetland.

The concentrations of four heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Ni and Cr) were measured in tissues of pelagic (Rutilus caspicus) and benthic (Neogobius gorlap) fishes from the Miankaleh international wetland. The maximum concentrations of Pb, Cd, Ni, and Cr (2.06, 1.20, 1.14 and 0.70 μg g(-1), respectively) were measured in the liver of N. gorlap, while the lowest concentrations were measured in muscle tissue collected from R. caspicus (Pb 0.67; Cd 0.25; Ni 0.21 and Cr 0.08 μg g(-1)). The mean concentrations of metals in liver of R. caspicus and N. gorlap followed a trend where Pb > Cd > Ni > Cr, whereas in R. caspicus and N. gorlap gills and N. gorlap muscle the following trend was observed Pb > Ni > Cd > Cr. The data of presented study show that the liver and gill tissues have higher metal concentrations than muscle and also the metal concentrations in tissues of N. gorlap (benthic) were higher in comparison with R. caspicus (pelagic).