Abstract:

The concentrations of heavy metals such as As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Zn and Hg in the muscle, gonad and gill of
crucian carp were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(ICP-MS) and DMA-80 direct mercury
analyzer. The crucian carp was captured by gill nets and electro-fishing facilities from the downstream East Tiaoxi River
within the period of Oct to Nov 2011. The food safety and the level of pollution of crucian carp were also investigated. The
results indicated that the concentrations of As and Cd were significantly higher than the maximum levels of contaminants
in food issued by the ministry of health P.R.C. The general composite pollution indexes for the crucian carp was 1.2, which
reached a serious pollution level. The concentration of As, Cr and Hg accounted for over 10% of provisional tolerable
weekly intake (PTWI), which could be identified as high risk for consuming the crucian carp. Significant correlations were
observed between the concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Zn and tissue specificity (P ＜ 0.05). The pollution level of
different tissues was ranked in the order of gonad ＞ gill ＞ muscle.

Key words: East Tiaoxi river, crucian carp, heavy metals, pollution evaluation, food safety