Assessment of Trace Metal Levels in Catfish (Cathorops spixii) from Sal River Estuary, Aracaju, State of Sergipe, Northeastern Brazil

The concentrations of cadmium, copper, nickel, zinc, and lead were determined in the catfish (Cathorops spixii) from the Sal River estuary, Brazil, to evaluate the potential role of domestic and industrial effluents released without treatment on the quality of the estuarine environment with consequences to fish resources. Muscle, liver, and kidney samples were analyzed for trace metal composition by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The mean concentration (μg/g wet weight) of trace metals in the tissues of C. spixii were as follows: cadmium = 1.65, 2.81, and 0.71 μg/g; copper = 29.07, 4.38, and 3.40 μg/g; zinc = 229, 312, and 15.57 μg/g; nickel = 1.22, 1.04, and 117 μg/g; and lead = 7.09, 10.77, and 11.18 μg/g. The results show that metal accumulation in organs indicates the difference between them. The results showed high concentrations of copper, zinc, nickel, lead, and cadmium in the Cathorops spixii compared with the maximum values registered from fish in studies reported in other coastal regions of Brazil.