Trace metal concentrations in edible fishes from Izmir Bay, Eastern Aegean

Heavy metal contamination of aquatic ecosystems has been recognised as a serious pollution problem (Phillips, 1995). The Izmir Metropolitan Municipality has monitored Hg, Cd and Pb concentrations in five species of fish in Izmir Bay over a 3 year period, within the framework of the "Izmir Bay Marine Research Project". Red mullet (Mullus barbatus), red pandora (Pagellus erythrinus), hake (Merluccius merluccius), annular sea bream (Diplodus annularis) and common sole (Solea vulgaris) were selected as monitoring species because they are important commercially and are commonly consumed by humans. A number of other studies have been carried out over a one year period on the concentrations of trace metals in Izmir Bay's marine organisms, using only a few species (Uysal and Tuncer, 1982; Demirkurt et al., 1990; Parlak and Demirkurt, 1990; Kucuksezgin and Balci, 1994). However, no seasonal data are available on trace metal concentrations in local marine organisms. In this paper, the levels of Hg, Cd and Pb in edible fishes of Izmir Bay (the five species monitored by the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality) are presented and compared over different seasons; in addition, the relationships between trace metals and fish length are discussed.