To what extent are hepatic concentrations of heavy metals in Anguilla anguilla at a site in a contaminated estuary related to body size and age and reflected in the metallothionein concentrations?
We explored how hepatic [metal]s in Anguilla anguilla at a contaminated estuarine site are influenced by body size, age and season, and the extent that [Cu], [Cd] and [Zn]s are reflected in [metallothionein (MT)]s. Although each [metal] and [MT] increased significantly with length, weight and age, t...
Published in: | Environmental Pollution |
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Main Authors: | , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | unknown |
Published: |
Elsevier
2008
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/7101/ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2007.03.018 |
Summary: | We explored how hepatic [metal]s in Anguilla anguilla at a contaminated estuarine site are influenced by body size, age and season, and the extent that [Cu], [Cd] and [Zn]s are reflected in [metallothionein (MT)]s. Although each [metal] and [MT] increased significantly with length, weight and age, those biotic variables explained <10% of the variation in each [metal] and only 11–16% for [MT]. Seasonal changes in [Cu] and [Cd] were paralleled by [MT]. The variation in [MT] explained by Cu (42%) was greater than by Zn (16%) and Cd (13%), and seasonally lay between 43 and 69% for those metals collectively. Thus, hepatic [MT] in eels is closely correlated with hepatic [heavy metal]s. However, the great variability among [MT]s for eels of similar sizes and ages, which reflects marked variability in hepatic [heavy metal]s, means that this variable reflects imprecisely the contamination level at a particular site. Hepatic [Cu], [Cd], [Zn] and [MT] in eels varies greatly with size, age and season. |
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