Trace metal levels in fish and crustacea from Northeastern Mediterranean coastal waters

Some fish and crustacea caught near the northeastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey between 1977 and 1980 have been analysed by the AAS technique for their H Hg, Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu, Fe, Ni, Cr and Mn contents. In the crustacea Portunus pelagicus (crab) and Penaeus keratherus (shrimp), the two essential elements Zn and Cu, showed a linear correlation. Among the bony fish, Upeneus moluccensis (gold band goat fish), a member of the Mullidae family, and Portunus pelagicus showed a much greater tendency to accumulate Hg than other species. Although Cr concentrations in the sediments of the area studied were high, Cr levels in the organisms studied were found to be relatively low. The highly toxic metals Hg, Cd and Pb were found to be present in concentrations lower than those reported from other areas of the Mediterranean.