Copper, zinc and cadmium in marine cage fish farm sediments:An extensive survey

• Published in: Environmental Pollution
• Main Authors: Dean, Rebecca J, Shimmield, Tracy, Black, Kenny
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2007
• Subjects: ECOLOGICAL IMPACT; Environmental Sciences; ATLANTIC SALMON; WILD FISH; ORGANIC ENRICHMENT; VERTICAL-DISTRIBUTION; CONTINENTAL-MARGIN SEDIMENTS; TRACE-METALS; SALMON SALMO-SALAR; MACROBENTHIC COMMUNITY; CONTAMINATION; Atlantic salmon; Salmo salar
• Online Access: https://pure.uhi.ac.uk/en/publications/f374de7a-c170-4c10-9dcd-3623f361c1af; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2006.03.050

The diet of cage-farmed Atlantic salmon contains a range of trace metals, some of which have toxic properties, e.g. zinc, copper and cadmium. A survey of metal concentrations (ICP-MS analysis) in surface sediments of ca. 70 stations was carried out in both May and December 2000 around a Scottish fish farm. Additionally, at 13 stations on 2 orthogonal transects centered on the farm, sediments were analysed at I cm intervals to 8 ern depth. Maximum concentrations in surface sediments were 921, 805 and 3.5 mu g g(-1) for Zn, Cu and Cd, respectively, and were found at stations near the fish farm. The calculated losses from the farm (feed input minus fish output) were 87.0%, 4.3% and 14.0% of the background-corrected inventories for Zn, Cu and Cd, respectively, indicating that for Cu and Cd at least, the feed is not the only source. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.