US EPA

4958867 

Journal Article 

METAL ACCUMULATION IN TISSUES OF SHARKS FROM THE BAHIA BLANCA ESTUARY, ARGENTINA 

Marcovecchio, JE; Moreno, VJ; Perez, A 

1991 

1 

Marine Environmental Research
ISSN: 0141-1136 

31 

4 

263-274 

10.1016/0141-1136(91)90016-2 

WOS:A1991GX30200002 

Total mercury, cadmium, and zinc accumulation was studied in muscle and liver of three species of shark from the Bahia Blanca estuary, Argentina. The mercury concentrations were similar in both muscle (range: 0.77-2.99-mu-g/g) and liver (0.79-2.26-mu-g/g) of the analyzed species. Concentrations of cadmium and zinc were higher in liver than in muscle. The frequency distributions of metal concentrations were found to be log-normal. The metal concentrations increased proportionally to the total length of the sharks. Significant differences-attributable to location in the estuary-in metal concentrations were not found. Dietary differences among species of shark seemed to be the most important causes for differences in their metal concentrations.