The influence of weight and length on the mercury content in the muscle tissue of fish from four lakes in the Olsztyn Lake District (Poland)

Abstract

The total mercury content was determined in the muscle of northern pike, perch, and roach caught in four lakes (Łańskie, Pluszne, Dłużek, Maróz) in the Olsztyn Lake District (northeastern Poland) from October 1999 to October 2000. The total mercury was analyzed with flameless cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CV AAS). The total mercury content in the muscle of pike ranged from 0.076 mg kg^-1 (Łańskie) to 0.902 mg kg^-1 (Pluszne), in perch from 0.104 mg kg^-1 (Pluszne) to 1.277 mg kg-1 (Dłużek), and in roach from 0.074 mg kg^-1 (Maróz) to 0.278 mg kg^-1 (Maróz). In most cases, the strongest positive correlation (p < 0.001) was found between the Hg concentration in the muscle tissue of the fish and total body weight (0.825 < r < 0.967) or total body length (0.781 < r < 0.950). The exception was the roach from Lake Maróz, where the correlation coefficients between mercury content in the muscle of these fish and their body weight and total length were r = 0.794 and r = 0.788, respectively (p < 0.01). Similarly, with pike from Lake Maróz it was found that the correlation coefficient between the mercury concentration in the muscle of these fish and their total length was r = 0.781 (p < 0.01).

CORRESPONDING AUTHOR:

Dr Joanna Łuczyńska, Uniwersytet Warmińsko-Mazurski, Wydział Nauki o Żywności, Katedra Towaroznawstwa i Badań Żywności, Plac Cieszyński 1, 10-726 Olsztyn, Tel./Fax: +48(89) 5234729;
e-mail: jlucz@uwm.edu.pl