Lead content in commercial fishes of the Barents Sea (based on long-term data)
https://doi.org/10.36038/2307-3497-2025-200-145-157
EDN: SVTXYP
Abstract
The aim: to study the amount of lead found in muscle tissue and liver of the main commercial fish species of the Barents Sea.
Research material was comprised of fish samples collected during the expeditions of “PINRO” named after Knipovich in the Barents Sea in 2009-2022. The study was based on muscle and liver samples taken from cod, haddock, long rough dab, Greenland halibut, plaice and spotted catfish. Over 1500 samples were analyzed.
Novelty: for the first time a large amount of material was used to perform a comparative analysis of Pb content in six commercial fish species of the Barents Sea. Natural background levels of its content to be regarded as acceptable were identified.
Methods used: lead in samples was detected by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry using Shimadzu (Japan) spectrophotometer. Processing of statistical data and diagram plotting were performed in MS Excel and Statistica 13 application package.
Results: It has been shown that mean Pb content in fish muscle and liver did not exceed the standard for permissible content, 1.0 mg/kg of the wet weight. Pb content in liver was found to exceed that in muscle by 2.4 times on the average. No signs of anthropogenic pollution by Pb was found in the studied samples. Estimates of background Pb levels in muscle of the Barents Sea commercial fishes were suggested. The background levels are markers of the current natural Pb content in the regional fish fauna and can be used to reveal anthropogenic impact on the biota. There is a statistically sound suggestion regarding a probable link between Pb content and fish taxonomy: the content of Pb in muscle of flatfish is reliably lower than in gadoid fishes.
Practical significance: the obtained results were used to estimate the compliance with safety standards for commercial fishes established by the technical regulations of the Customs Union accepted in Russia.
About the Authors
М. А. Novikov
Polar branch of VNIRO (N.M. Knipovich «PINRO»)
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
6, Academician Knipovich St., Murmansk, 183038
E. А. Gorbacheva
Polar branch of VNIRO (N.M. Knipovich «PINRO»)
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
6, Academician Knipovich St., Murmansk, 183038
M. N. Kharlamova
Murmansk Arctic University («MAU»)
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
9, Kommuny St., Murmansk, 183038
References
1. Vasil’kov G. V. Grishchenko L. I., Engashev V. G. 1989 Fish diseases. Handbook / V. S. Osetrov. ed. Moscow: Agropromizdat. 288 p. (In Russ.).
2. Gashkina N. A., Moiseenko T. I., Shuman L. A., Koroleva I. M. The role of trace elements in the adaptation of fish metabolism under reduced pollution: a case study of the subarctic Lake Imandra // Geochemistry International. 2022. V. 60. № 2. С. 154-169. DOI: 10.1134/S0016702922020057 (In Russ.).
3. Diagnostic analysis of the state of the environment in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. 2011 / B. A. Morgunov ed. Moscow: Nauchnyy mir. 1260 p. (In Russ.).
4. Dolgov A. V. 2016. Composition, formation and trophic structure of the Barents Sea fish communities. Murmansk: PINRO Publish. 336 pp. (In Russ.).
5. Dorohova I. I., Kuzminova N. S., Rudneva I. I., Boldyrev D. A. Сontents of heavy metals and bioindicators of liver condition of some black sea fishes // Veterinarna medicina. Vyp. 96. P. 288-290. (In Russ.).
6. Ershova T. S., Zaitsev V. F., Chaplygin V. A. 2021. Features of lead migration in the Caspian Sea ecosystem // Ucheny`e zapiski Kry`mskogo federal`nogo universiteta im. V. I. Vernadskogo. Biology. Chemistry. V. 7 (73), No. 4. P. 3-22. (In Russ.).
7. Israel Yu.A., Tsyban A. V. Anthropogenic ecology of the ocean. 2009. Moscow: Flinta. 532 p. (In Russ.).
8. Study of ecosystems of fishery water reservoirs, collection and processing of data on aquatic biological resources, techniques and technology for their extraction and processing. 2004. Instructions and guidelines for the collection and processing of data on the seas of the European North and the North Atlantic. M.: VNIRO Publish. 299 p. (In Russ.).
9. Kovekovdova L. T., Kiku D. P., Kasyanenko I. S. 2015. Monitoring of metals and arsenic content in commercial fish and sea water of Far East // Rybnoe hozyaystvo. N 2. P. 18-24. (In Russ.).
10. Kovekovdova L. T., Kiku D. P., Kasyanenko I. S. 2016. Monitoring of water environment and food safety of commercial objects in the Far East fishery basin (toxic elements) // Marine biological research: achievements and prospects. In 3 V. Proc. All- Russian scient.-prac. conf. with intern. participation to the 145th anniversary of the Sevastopol Biological Station. Sevastopol: ECOSI-Hydrophysics. V.3. P. 111-114. (In Russ.).
11. Konstantinova L. L., Dvinin Yu.F., Lebskaya T. K., Kuz’mina V.I. 1997. Technochemical properties of commercial fish of the North Atlantic and adjacent seas of the Arctic Ocean. Murmansk: PINRO Publush. 183 p. (In Russ.).
12. Moiseenko T. I. 2015. The influence of geochemical factors of the aquatic environment on the bioaccumulation of metals in the body of fish // Geokhimiya. No. 3. P. 222-233. (In Russ.).
13. Morozov N. P., Petukhov S. A. 1986. Trace elements in the commercial ichthyofauna of the World Ocean. Moscow: Agropromizdat. 160 p. (In Russ.).
14. Moore J., Ramamoorthy S. 1987. Heavy metals in natural waters: Applied monitoring and impact assessment. Moscow: Mir. 288 p. (In Russ.).
15. Novikov M. A., Gorbacheva E. A., Lapteva A. M. 2021. Arsenic content in commercial fish of the Barents Sea (according to long-term data) // Izvestiya TINRO. V. 201, № 4. P. 833-844. DOI: 10.26428/1606‑9919‑2021‑201‑833‑844. (In Russ.).
16. Novikov M. A., Gorbacheva E. A., Kharlamova M. N. 2023. Mercury content in commercial fish of the Barents Sea (according to long-term data) // Trudy VNIRO. V. 191. P. 112-123. DOI: 10.36038/2307‑3497‑2023‑191‑112‑1. (In Russ.).
17. Novikov M. A., Gorbacheva E. A., Kharlamova M. N. 2024. Cadmium content in commercial fish of the Barents Sea (according to long-term data) // Trudy VNIRO. V. 198. С. 87-99. DOI: 10.36038/2307‑3497‑2024‑198‑87‑99. (In Russ.).
18. Rodyuk G. N., Chukalova N. N., Shenderyuk V. V., Bakholdina L. P., Chernysheva N. L., Sayadov S. O. 2012. Occurrence of ulcerative skin lesions in cod (Gadus morhua callarias L.) under anthropogenic pollution conditions in the southeastern Baltic Sea // Biologiya vnutrennix vod. No. 1. P. 100-106. (In Russ.).
19. Guide to chemical analysis of land surface waters. 1977. / A. D. Semenov ed. Leningrad: Gidrometeoizdat, 541 p. (In Russ.).
20. Filenko O. F., Mikheeva I. V. 2007. Fundamentals of aquatic toxicology. Moscow: Kolos. 144 p. (In Russ.).
21. Khristoforova N. K. 1989. Bioindication and monitoring of sea water pollution with heavy metals. Lenindrad: Nauka. 192 p. (in Russ.).
22. Khristoforova N. K., Litvinenko A. V., Alekseev M.Yu., Tsygankov V.Yu. 2023. Trace element сontent in the pink salmon from the rivers of the Barents and Okhotsk seas basins // Rossijskij zhurnal biologicheskix invazij. No 2. P. 272-287. (In Russ.). DOI: 10.35885/1996‑1499‑16‑2‑272‑287
23. Shuntov V. P., Temnykh O. S. 2008. Pacific salmon in marine and oceanic ecosystems. Vladivostok: TINRO-center. V. 1. 482 p. (In Russ.).
24. Abel P. D. 1996. Water pollution biology. London: Taylor & Francis Ltd. 296 p. DOI: 10.1201/9781482295368
25. Bjerregaard P., Andersen C., Andersen O. 2014. Ecotoxicology of metals – sources, transport, and effects on the ecosystem // Handbook on the Toxicology of Metals / G. F. Nordberg, B. A. Fowler, M. Nordberg eds. Elsevier Science, Amsterdam. P. 425-459.
26. Campbell P. G.C. 1995. Interactions between trace metals and aquatic organisms: a critique of the free-ion activity model // Metal Speciation and Bioavailability in Aquatic Systems / A. Tessier, D. R. Turner eds. Wiley. P. 45-102.
27. Clark R. B. 2011. Marine pollution. Fifth edition. Oxford University Press. USA. 230 p.
28. Dietz R., Riget F., Johansen P. 1996. Lead, cadmium, mercury and selenium in Greenland marine animals // The Science of the Total Environment. V. 186. P. 67-93.
29. Heath A. G. 2002. Water Pollution and Fish Physiology. Lewis Publishers. 506 p.
30. Hodson P. V. 1988. The effect of metabolism on uptake, disposition and toxicity in fish // Aquatic Toxicology. V. 11. P. 3-18.
31. Ervik H., Erik T. F., Munro B. J. 2018. Toxic and Essential Elements in Seafood from Mausund, Norway // Environ. Sci. Pollut. V. 25(8). P. 7409-7417. DOI: 10.1007/s11356‑017‑1000‑4
32. Garcia-Leston J., Mendez J., Pasaro E., Laffon B. 2010. Genotoxic effects of lead: an updated review // Environ. Int. М. V. 36 (6). P. 623-636. DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2010.04.011.
33. Jaishankar M., Tseten T., Anbalagan N., Mathew B. B., Beeregowda K. N. 2014.Toxicity, mechanism and health effects of some heavy metals // Interdiscip. Toxicol. V. 7(2). P. 60-72. DOI: 10.2478/intox‑2014‑0009
34. Julshamn K., Duinker A., Nilsen B. M., Frantzen S., Maage A., Valdersnes S., Nedreaas K. 2013. A baseline study of levels of mercury, arsenic, cadmium and lead in Northeast Arctic cod (Gadus morhua) from different parts of the Barents Sea // Mar. Poll. Bull. V. 67. Iss. 1-2. P. 187-195. DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2012.11.038
35. Karl H., Kammann U., Aust M.-O., Manthey- Karl M., Lüth A., Kanisch G. 2016. Large scale distribution of dioxins, PCBs, heavy metals, PAH-metabolites and radionuclides in cod (Gadus morhua) from the North Atlantic and its adjacent seas // Chemosphere. V. 149. P. 294-303. DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.01.052
36. Kim J. H., Kang J. C. 2015.The lead accumulation and hematological findings in juvenile rock fish Sebastes schlegelii exposed to the dietary lead (II) concentrations // Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety. V. 115. P. 33-39. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2015.02.009
37. Kumar A., Cabral-Pinto M.M.S., Chaturvedi A. K., Shabnam A. A., Subrahmanyam G., Mondal R., Gupta D. K., Malyan S. K., Kumar S. S., Khan A. S., Yadav K. K. 2020. Lead Toxicity: Health Hazards, Influence on Food Chain, and Sustainable Remediation Approaches // Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. V. 17(7):2179. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17072179
38. Lee J. W., Choi H., Hwang U. K., Kang J.C, Kang Y. J., Kim K. I., Kim J. H. 2019.Toxic effects of lead exposure on bioaccumulation, oxidative stress, neurotoxicity, and immune responses in fish: A review // Environ. Toxicol. Pharmacol. V. 68. P. 101108. DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2019.03.010
39. Mager E. M. 2012. Lead. Homeostasis and Toxicology of Non- Essential Metals. Fish Physiology. V. 31А. / C. M. Wood, A. P. Farrell, C. J. Brauner eds. Amsterdam: Academic Press. P. 186-237.
40. Mauffret A., Chouvelon T., Wessel N., Cresson P., Bănaru D., Baudrier J., Bustamante P., Chekri R., Jitaru P., Le Loc’h F., Mialet B., Vaccher V., Harmelin- Vivien M. 2023. Trace elements, dioxins and PCBs in different fish species and marine regions: Importance of the taxon and regional features // Environmental Research. V. 216, Part 3:114624. DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114624
41. Moiseenko T. I., Gashkina N. A. 2020. Distribution and Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals (Hg, Cd and Pb) in Fish: Influence of the Aquatic Environment and Climate // Environ. Res. Lett. V. 15:115013. DOI: 10.1088/1748‑9326/abbf7c
42. Phillips D. J.H., Rainbow P. S. 1989. Strategies of trace metal sequestration in aquatic organisms // Marin Environment Research. V. 49. P. 83-93.
43. Sun T., Wu H., Wang X., Ji C., Shan X., Li F. 2020. Evaluation on the biomagnification or biodilution of trace metals in global marine food webs by meta-analysis // Environ Pollut. V. 264:113856. DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113856
44. Whitfield A. K., Elliott M. 2002. Fish as indicators of environmental and ecological changes within estuaries: a review of progress and some suggestions for the future // J. Fish Biol. V. 61. P. 229-250. DOI: 10.1006/jfbi.2002.2079
45. Yeom D.-H., Adams S. M. 2007. Assessing effects of stress across levels of biological organization using an aquatic ecosystem health index // Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf. V. 67 (2). P. 286-295. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2006.07.006
Review
For citations:
Novikov М.А., Gorbacheva E.А., Kharlamova M.N. Lead content in commercial fishes of the Barents Sea (based on long-term data). Trudy VNIRO. 2025;200:145-157. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.36038/2307-3497-2025-200-145-157. EDN: SVTXYP
Email this article 