Assessment of Lead, Cadmium, Chrome, Iron, Zinc and Copper Levels in Tissues of Cyprinus carpio from Atatürk Dam Lake (Adıyaman)

Abstract

Atatürk Dam Lake, which was established on the Euphrates River for agricultural irrigation and electricity production, is the largest dam lake in Turkey. Many fish species, which are the primary food source for humans, live in the dam lake. Therefore, possible pollution in this dam will adversely affect not only fish but also human health. For this purpose, in this study, lead, cadmium, chromium, iron, zinc, and copper levels were measured in the liver, gill, and muscle tissues of Cyprinus carpio, which was the food source of the local people, caught from two different regions (Sitilce and Samsat) of the dam lake in August and September in 2021. In our study, lead was not detected in any of the tissues and cadmium was not detected in gill and muscle tissues in fish from both regions. It was found that the levels of all metals found in the fish of the Sitilce region were not statistically different from the fish of the Samsat region (except the liver iron level). Our research results showed that the heavy metal levels in the muscle tissue of C. carpio were below the legally permissible limits in terms of nutritional safety and human consumption. In addition, when compared with previous studies, it was determined that there was a decrease in heavy metal levels in the tissues of fish after the wastewater treatment plants were established.