Metal Concentrations in Chub, Leuciscus Cephalus, from a Submontane River

In many aquatic environments elevated levels of trace elements occur due to anthropogenic activities. Water organisms can be precise indicators in estimating the status of pollution of water environments. Among them several species of fish have been widely used (Håkanson 1984, Chevreuil et al. 1995, Andres et al. 2000, Falandysz et al. 2000, Perkowska and Protasowicki 2000, Řehulka 2001, Wagner and Boman 2003, Polechoński 2004, Szarek-Gwiazda and Amirowicz 2006). Accumulation of trace elements in the tissues of fish living in aquatic environment depends on many factors (Jezierska and Witeska 2001). These factors include metal contents in water and food organisms, exposure time, environment conditions (e.g., pH, alkalinity, salinity), feeding habit, age, and size of fish (Protasowicki 1991, Mason et al. 2000, Řehulka 2001, Jezierska et al. 2002, Witeska and Baka 2002, Dobicki and Polechoński 2003, Łuczyńska and BruckaJastrzębska 2005), and the differences in metallothionein (MT) gene induction by various species of fish (Olsson and Kille 1997, De Boeck et al. 2003). Chevreuil et al. (1995) and Andres et al. (2000)—to name just a few—indicated that the omnivorous roach, which is common and often abundant in central European inland waters, is a useful species in monitoring studies. Roach can accumulate certain trace elements in considerable amounts, greater than other species inhabiting the same water bodies. Andres et al. (2000), Spurný et al. (2002), Demirak et al. (2006), and Yılmaz et al. (2007) used other omnivorous fish i.e., chub, Leuciscus cephalus (L.), to assess heavy metal distributions in river ecosystems. Chub inhabit rivers of central and southern Europe, ACTA ICHTHYOLOGICA ET PISCATORIA (2008) 38 (1): 47–53 DOI: 10.3750/AIP2008.38.1.08