Metal Analysis of Scales Taken from Arctic Grayling

• Main Authors: A. P. Farrell, A. H. Hodaly, S. Wang
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2000
• Subjects: Arctic; Arctic grayling; Thymallus arcticus
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.452.7073; http://people.landfood.ubc.ca/anthony.farrell/pubs/p149.pdf

Abstract. This study examined concentrations of metals in fish scales taken from Arctic grayling using laser ablation–induc-tively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS). The purpose was to assess whether scale metal concentrations re-flected whole muscle metal concentrations and whether the spatial distribution of metals within an individual scale varied among the growth annuli of the scales. Ten elements (Mg, Ca, Ni, Zn, As, Se, Cd, Sb, Hg, and Pb) were measured in 10 to 16 ablation sites (5 mm radius) on each scale sample from Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus) (n 5 10 fish). Ca, Mg, and Zn were at physiological levels in all scale samples. Se, Hg, and As were also detected in all scale samples. Only Cd was below detection limits of the LA-ICPMS for all samples, but some of the samples were below detection limits for Sb, Pb, and Ni. The mean scale concentrations for Se, Hg, and Pb were not signif-