Accumulation of Lead, Cadmium and Chromium in Several Organs and Tissues of Carp

Carps were kept in water containing 0.1, 0.05 and 0.01 ppm of Pb, 0.05 ppm of Cd, or 15 and 1.5 ppm of Cr (VI) for 5 or 6 months, and the metal contents in the organs and tissues were determined. The carps in all groups exposed to the metals, except for 15 ppm Cr-group, appeared similarly to the control fish throughout the experiments. In Pb-groups, the Pb content of gills was much higher than those of kidney, viscera (hepatopancreas, digestive tract and gall-bladder), eye, muscle and skin, and the accumulation was kept even after 6 month. In fish exposed to 0.05 ppm-Cd, the metal was concentrated extremely and specifically in the kidney to give the concentration coefficient about 1600 after 5 month-exposure. The Cr was detected in various organs including kidney, hepatopancreas and gills, and the accumulation stopped within 3 months in 1.5 ppm Cr-group.