Avaliação preliminar dos teores de metais traço em peixes e crustáceos provenientes da porção Norte da Baía de Todos os Santos, Bahia, Brasil

Abstract

The present study investigated the concentrations of trace elements (Cd, Cu, Fe, Ni and Zn) in crustaceans (Ucides cordatus and Callinectes exasperatus) and fish (Centropomus undecimalis) collected at the northern part of the Todos os Santos Bay, Bahia, Brazil. The specimens were dissected and the biometry of muscle, liver, gills and hepatopancreas was realized. The biological tissues were freeze dried, grounded and digested in a heating plate using HNO3 65% v/v and H2O2 30% v/v. Trace elements were detected by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES). Zinc, Cu and Cd accumulated in gills, hepatopancreas and muscles of crustaceans. The levels of Ni were highest in the hepatopancreas tissues of Ucides cordatus. Levels of Cu (hepatopancreas) and Zn (muscle) of Ucides cordatus and Zn concentrations in gills and hepatopancreas of Callinectes exasperatus were above the recommended limits for human consumption. For the Centropomus undecimalis, the highest and lowest concentrations of Zn and Fe, respectively, were found in liver and muscle, respectively. For this species, the levels observed in muscle were below the recommended levels, thus their intake poses no risk to the population. However, the use of the U. cordatus and C. exasperatus in the human diet should be evaluated with care, since high concentrations of Cu and Zn were found in tissues of these species.