Marine Pollution Bulletin 162 (2021) 111817

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Marine Pollution Bulletin

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Baseline

Trace element concentrations in the organs of fish along the southeast coast
of India
Rajendran Shalini a, Geevaretnam Jeyasekaran b, *, Robinson Jeya Shakila a,
Ulaganathan Arisekar a
a
Department of Fish Quality Assurance and Management, Fisheries College and Research Institute, Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, India
b
Tamil Nadu Dr. J. Jayalalithaa Fisheries University, Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu, India

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: Trace element pollution in the marine system is a global concern as the exposure of marine organisms to this
Trace elements pollution results in bioaccumulation and further transfer of the trace elements to humans through food chain. In
Bioaccumulation the present study, the distribution of trace elements, namely chromium, cobalt, nickel, iron, copper, zinc, arsenic,
Fish
cadmium, mercury, and lead, in gills, bone, liver, and muscle of eight commercially important fish collected
ICP-MS
along the southeast coast of India was analyzed using an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. The
liver was the main organ of accumulation for copper, zinc, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury; bone for chromium,
cobalt, and lead; gills for copper; and muscle for arsenic and mercury. The concentration of toxic trace elements
such as arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and lead in the edible portion of fish was lower than the recommended
International Legislation limits, indicating that the fish of this region are safe for consumption.

Over the past few decades, there has been a rapid increase in
industrialization and economic development. This has led to chemical
pollution, including pollution from heavy metals. Consequently, pollu­
tion from heavy metals has caused a worldwide concern because of their
non-biodegradable and persistent properties. The sources of these
metals are naturally occurring elements as well as contaminated efflu­
ents, which enter the marine environment through industrial discharges,
mining, and agricultural activities. Elements such as iron, copper, zinc,
and manganese are essential, whereas elements such as lead, cadmium,
and mercury are nonessential and are toxic even at very low concen­
trations (Sivaperumal et al., 2007). The essential metals may also pro­
duce toxic effects when present at high levels.
In fish, trace elements are absorbed through the gills and gut, and are
transported to other organs through blood (Chevreuil et al., 1995). In
target organs, they are accumulated in high concentrations (Bustamante
et al., 2004). Cadmium is accumulated in higher amounts in the liver
and kidney (Campenhout et al., 2004); Zn in muscle, skin, and bone; and
Cu in liver (Olsson, 1998). The accumulation of trace elements in fish is
based on their bioavailability, which depends on the environmental
conditions, types of pollutant, location, feeding habits, age, size, sex,
habitats, and trophic level (Weber et al., 2013). During chronic expo­
sure, trace elements are accumulated in the muscle, whereas during
acute exposure, muscle is not the target organ for accumulation. The
concentration of trace elements in fish caught in the same location varies
due to the differences in their feeding habits (Yilmaz, 2005), behavior,
and habitat (Mwashote, 2003).
Thoothukudi is an important port city in the Gulf of Mannar region
along the southeast coast of India. It has a population of 0.4 million
(2011 census). In Thoothukudi, there are many industries involved in
the production of chemicals, petrochemicals, and plastics. In addition,
the presence of a major harbor, five thermal power plants, a heavy water
plant, and other anthropogenic activities has altered the ecosystem of
this region (Jonathan et al., 2004). Only a few studies have been con­
ducted on the topic of contamination of trace elements in the fish of this
region (Sam and Edward, 2016). To date, no work has been conducted
on the bioaccumulation of trace elements in the commercially important
fish of this region. Hence, the present study was performed to study the
bioaccumulation of trace elements in different organs of fish such as
muscle, gills, liver, and bone.
Samples (six each) of fish, namely Sardinella gibbosa (goldenstripe
sardine), Caranx sexfaciatus (bigeye trevally), Lethrinus lentjan (pink ear
emperor), Siganus canaliculatus (white spotted spinefoot), Epinephelus
areolatus (areolate grouper), Sphyraena jello (pink handle barracuda),
Strongylura strongylura (spottail needlefish), Euthynnus affinis (mackerel

* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: jeyasekarang@gmail.com (G. Jeyasekaran).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111817
Received 11 August 2020; Received in revised form 19 October 2020; Accepted 27 October 2020
Available online 9 November 2020
0025-326X/© 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
R. Shalini et al.
Table. 1
Size and weight (mean ± SD) of fish used for analysis.
Common name Scientific name
Goldenstripe sardine Sardinella gibbosa
Bigeye trevally Caranx sexfaciatus
Pink ear emperor Lethrinus lentjan
White spotted spinefoot Siganus canaliculatus
Spottail needlefish Strongylura strongylura
Pink handle Barracuda Sphyraena jello
Mackerel tuna Euthynnus affinis
Narrow barred Spanish mackerel Scomberomorus commerson
tuna), and Scomberomorus commerson (narrow barred Spanish mackerel)
caught by trawlers in the potential fishing zone (8000–9000 N;
78000–79000 E) along the Thoothukudi waters were collected in
October 2018 from the Thoothukudi fishing harbor (Table 1). The fishes
were selected for this study on the basis of various feeding habits
(Planktivore - Sardinella gibbosa; Herbivore - Siganus canaliculatus;
Carnivore - Caranx sexfaciatus, Lethrinus lentjan, Sphyraena jello, Strong­
ylura strongylura, Euthynnus affinis, and Scomberomorus commerson) and
fishing area (inshore - Sardinella gibbosa, Siganus canaliculatus, and
Caranx sexfaciatus; offshore - Sphyraena jello, Strongylura strongylura,
Euthynnus affinis, and Scomberomorus commerson). Moreover all the
fishes selected for the study have good commercial value and are widely
consumed. The samples were transported to the laboratory in ice-cooled
containers. In the laboratory, the samples were washed with deionized
water. The length (cm) and weight (g) of each fish were recorded. The
fish were dissected on a clean plastic board, and the gills, liver, bone,
and muscle were carefully removed. Next, 0.50 ± 0.05 g of each sample
was weighed and transferred to a digestion vessel, and 5.0 ml of 65%
nitric acid (Suprapur; Merck, USA) and 1 ml hydrogen peroxide were
added and allowed to predigest. The samples were then placed in a
microwave digestor (MARS 6; CEM Corp., USA) for digestion. The trace
element concentration was analyzed following AOAC (2015) guidelines.
An inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (iCAP RQ; Thermo
Fisher Scientific, Bremen, Germany) was used to determine the con­
centration of trace elements, namely chromium, cobalt, nickel, iron,
copper, zinc, arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and lead, by using CRM-ICP
multielement standard solution XVI (HC60097287; Merck, Darmstadt,
Germany). Yttrium (10 μg/g) was used as an internal standard in all
standards and samples.
Kruskal–Wallis one-way nonparametric analysis of variance
(ANOVA) was performed on the datasets to determine the difference in
the trace element accumulation in the organs of various fish species as
well as between different organs of each fish. Cluster analysis was per­
formed to determine metal concentrations in different tissues of fish
using SPSS software (version 22; IBM Corp., Armonk, NY).
The concentrations of Cr, Co, Ni, Fe, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Hg, and Pb were
analyzed in the muscle, gill, liver, and bone of fish, and the results are
shown in Table 2. The order of the presence of the trace elements in the
majority of the fish was Fe > Zn > Cu > As > Ni > Cr > Cd > Hg > Co >
Pb in the muscles; Fe > Zn > Cu > As > Cd > Ni > Cr > Co > Pb > Hg in
gills; Fe > Zn > Cu > As > Cd > Co > Pb > Ni > Cr > Hg in the liver; and
Fe > Zn > Cu > As > Cr > Cd > Ni > Co > Pb > Hg in the bones. The
concentrations (μg/g) of Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Hg, and Pb ranged
from 0.011 to 0.894, 2.87 to 996.8, 0.003 to 0.240, 0.016 to 0.394,
0.018 to 51.3, 4.09 to 30.0, 0.510 to 4.68, 0.005 to 2.04, 0.001 to 0.075,
and from 0.001 to 0.363, respectively. Fe and Zn were the two major
trace elements found irrespective of the species and organs, followed by
Cu and As. Bone and liver were the main organs of accumulation of trace
elements.
The results of ANOVA showed a significant difference (p < 0.05) in
Hg concentration in the muscle and Cd concentration in the bone of
2
Marine Pollution Bulletin 162 (2021) 111817
Length (cm) Weight (g)
14.3 ± 0.58 24.1 ± 5.06
23.1 ± 2.06 141.5 ± 24.9
22.1 ± 2.89 198.8 ± 16.8
21.9 ± 2.51 174.5 ± 18.3
35.1 ± 10.8 97.7 ± 3.52
27.9 ± 8.23 321.8 ± 28.7
41.9 ± 1.90 685.3 ± 118.8
42.0 ± 6.55 987.5 ± 173.2
different fish species (Table 3). Analysis of the trace element concen­
tration in different organs of each fish species showed a significant dif­
ference (p < 0.05) in the concentration of a few trace elements in all fish
species, except for Sphyraena jello and Euthynnus affinis (Table 4).
The dendrogram generated by cluster analysis of nonessential trace
elements (Cr, Co, Ni, As, Cd, Hg, and Pb) showed that the dataset was
separated into two main clusters: cluster A and cluster B. Cluster A
consisted of 85% of subclusters (Fig. 1), among which subclustering of
organs such as muscle, liver, and gills as well as different organs of
Sardinella gibbosa was observed. Cluster B consisted of bones of Caranx
sexfaciatus, Strongylura strongylura, Euthynnus affinis, and Scomberomorus
commerson.
The differences in the metal bioaccumulation in fish were mainly due
to different affinity of metals to fish tissue, uptake, deposition, and
excretion rates. Jezierska and Witeska (2006) reported Zn concentration
more than 300 μg/g, Pb and Cu concentration below 10 μg/g, and Cd
and Hg concentration below 1 μg/g on dry weight basis in fish, which is
similar to the concentration of Zn, Pb, Cu, Cd, and Hg observed in the
present study.
Bone is the main organ of bioaccumulation for Cr, Fe, Co, Zn, and Pb.
Fish bone contains hydroxyapatite, which absorbs trace elements. Hy­
droxyapatite has also been reported as a sorbent source for various trace
elements in earlier studies (Dimovic et al., 2009). In a study conducted
by Perugini et al. (2014) that compared the bioaccumulation of the trace
elements As, Cd, Hg, Pb, Cu, Zn, and Se between muscle and bone, the
authors reported a higher Pb and Zn concentration in the bone, which is
similar to the present study. Goel (1996) also reported that trace ele­
ments are accumulated in bone or exoskeleton of many organisms. In the
present study, the highest total trace element concentration (1029.2 μg/
g) was observed in the bones of Strongylura strongylura.
Liver is an important organ for trace element bioaccumulation. In the
present study, high concentrations of Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Hg, and Pb were
observed in the liver. The highest Cu concentration was recorded in the
liver of Scomberomorus commerson (168.1 μg/g). The high metal bio­
accumulation in the liver is attributed to the presence of the mercapto
group in the metallothionein protein (El-Shahawi, 1996). Metal­
lothionein binds to Cu, Cd, and Zn more in the liver than in other organs.
The fish liver plays an important role in trace element storage, redis­
tribution, and detoxification (Weber et al., 2013). It is interesting to note
that the Cd concentration was high in the liver of the large predatory
fishes such as Scomberomorus commerson, Sphyraena jello, and Euthynnus
affinis (Table 2), which is an indication of Cd pollution in the region.
High Cd concentration in the liver of various fish species was also re­
ported earlier by many researchers (Jose et al., 2004; Dural et al., 2007).
The living environment of the fish plays a major role in determining
the concentration of trace elements in the gills of fish. In the present
study, the trace element concentration in the gills was higher than that
in muscle but lower than that in the liver and bones. Gills accumulate a
higher amount of trace element during short time exposure than liver
and muscle (Bervoets et al., 2001). Zhao et al. (2012) reported the
presence of high levels of metals in skin or gill tissues of pelagic fishes.
R. Shalini et al. Marine Pollution Bulletin 162 (2021) 111817

Table 2
Heavy metal concentration (μg/g) in different organs of fish.
Fish Organ Cr Fe Co Ni Cu Zn As Cd Hg Pb

Sardinella gibbosa Muscle 0.073 ± 26.9 ± 17.6 0.023 ± 0.130 ± 3.71 ± 10.5 ± 2.21 ± 0.005 ± 0.010 ± 0.032 ±
0.02 0.10 0.02 4.07 6.72 1.59 0.00 0.01 0.04
Gill 0.112 ± 117.4 ± 0.043 ± 0.117 ± 3.76 ± 14.6 ± 0.819 ± 0.072 ± 0.004 ± 0.045 ±
0.12 109.3 0.09 0.02 5.32 11.3 0.67 0.07 0.00 0.05
Liver 0.036 ± 53.158 ± 0.040 ± 0.050 ± 10.8 ± 10.6 ± 1.76 ± 0.270 ± 0.013 ± 0.038 ±
0.03 39.4 0.02 0.03 15.5 7.07 1.58 0.11 0.01 0.04
Bone 0.053 ± 175 ± 71.4 0.025 ± 0.080 ± 1.97 ± 1.4 11.8 ± 2.12 ± 0.009 ± 0.007 ± 0.009 ±
0.02 0.08 0.02 0.24 1.56 0.00 0.00 0.01
Caranx sexfaciatus Muscle 0.060 ± 9.914 ± 0.003 ± 0.023 ± 0.315 ± 4.68 ± 0.510 ± 0.010 ± 0.026 ± 0.001 ±
0.06 8.58 0.02 0.00 0.02 0.89 0.07 0.00 0.00 0.00
Gill 0.034 ± 105.4 ± 0.049 ± 0.043 ± 1.49 ± 11.9 ± 0.600 ± 0.013 ± 0.012 ± 0.027 ±
0.02 7.19 0.03 0.03 0.38 0.63 0.27 0.07 0.01 0.03
Liver 0.084 ± 103 ± 0.053 ± 0.051 ± 2.23 ± 17.8 ± 1.31 ± 0.166 ± 0.075 ± 0.006 ±
0.10 76.01 0.03 0.05 1.88 3.22 0.24 0.73 0.05 0.01
Bone 0.340 ± 122.1 ± 0.150 ± 0.227 ± 0.385 ± 16.5 ± 0.570 ± 0.136 ± 0.010 ± 0.023 ±
0.29 99.7 0.05 0.11 0.15 6.3 0.05 0.01 0.01 0.02
Lethrinus lentjan Muscle 0.033 ± 2.87 ± 0.55 0.012 ± 0.016 ± 0.530 ± 4.79 ± 1.15 ± 0.013 ± 0.028 ± 0.026 ±
0.01 0.02 0.01 0.49 2.79 0.79 0.01 0.01 0.02
Gill 0.090 ± 90.8 ± 67.6 0.041 ± 0.091 ± 6.65 ± 10.3 ± 1.53 ± 0.028 ± 0.008 ± 0.047 ±
0.02 0.03 0.03 10.7 2.79 0.59 0.02 0.00 0.03
Liver 0.024 ± 90.4 ± 53.7 0.062 ± 0.072 ± 14.2 ± 24.7 ± 3.21 ± 0.365 ± 0.035 ± 0.363 ±
0.02 0.07 0.03 16.2 14.37 0.86 0.41 0.02 0.57
Bone 0.032 ± 449.7 ± 0.058 ± 0.059 ± 1.14 ± 10.5 ± 1.89 ± 0.016 ± 0.004 ± 0.013 ±
0.01 148.3 0.02 0.05 1.11 3.43 1.39 0.01 0.00 0.01
Siganus canaliculatus Muscle 0.015 ± 3.34 ± 0.39 0.016 ± 0.029 ± 0.624 ± 4.09 ± 3.13 ± 0.079 ± 0.001 ± 0.003 ±
0.00 0.01 0.00 0.104 2.71 2.70 0.07 0.00 0.00
Gill 0.044 ± 62.7 ± 57.4 0.098 ± 0.039 ± 13.03 0 ± 7.22 ± 1.69 ± 0.699 ± 0.002 ± 0.016 ±
0.02 0.03 0.04 2.6 0.07 1.22 0.68 0.00 0.01
Liver 0.028 ± 104.9 ± 0.188 ± 0.024 ± 17.5 ± 11.4 ± 1.27 ± 0.551 ± 0.006 ± 0.008 ±
0.01 99.5 0.02 0.18 5.07 3.67 0.60 0.52 0.01 0.01
Bone 0.177 ± 843.0 ± 0.134 ± 0.053 ± 0.018 ± 9.49 ± 0.66 ± 0.005 ± 0.000 ± 0.002 ±
0.01 11.4 0.01 0.01 0.00 0.29 0.05 0.00 0.00 0.00
Strongylura Muscle 0.134 ± 41.0 ± 51.6 0.007 ± 0.037 ± 0.302 ± 5.64 ± 1.22 ± 0.006 ± 0.044 ± 0.019 ±
strongylura 0.10 0.01 0.01 0.13 3.85 0.88 0.01 0.04 0.02
Gill 0.061 ± 79.4 ± 33.9 0.018 ± 0.097 ± 0.556 ± 12.8 ± 0.573 ± 0.013 ± 0.010 ± 0.041 ±
0.03 0.05 0.01 0.45 9.63 0.45 0.00 0.01 0.06
Liver 0.011 ± 127.4 ± 6.9 0.026 ± 0.043 ± 2.04 ± 16.2 ± 0.76 ± 0.211 ± 0.034 ± 0.013 ±
0.01 0.08 0.01 0.23 3.30 0.28 0.103 0.02 0.01
Bone 0.235 ± 996.8 ± 0.136 ± 0.394 ± 0.426 ± 30.0 ± 0.174 ± 0.010 ± 0.004 ± 0.271 ±
0.42 194 0.03 0.05 0.27 18.9 0.09 0.00 0.00 0.27
Sphyraena jello Muscle 0.039 ± 23.8 ± 24.4 0.102 ± 0.083 ± 9.58 ± 6.75 ± 2.58 ± 0.211 ± 0.052 ± 0.025 ±
0.02 0.13 0.17 0.13 5.9 8.26 0.36 0.03 0.02
Gill 0.078 ± 68.9 ± 59.2 0.016 ± 0.107 ± 0.773 ± 12.3 ± 2.44 ± 0.020 ± 0.014 ± 0.037 ±
0.09 0.07 0.01 0.07 0.30 3.71 0.02 0.01 0.04
Liver 0.030 ± 65.5 ± 55.4 0.042 ± 0.069 ± 15.3 ± 17.3 ± 2.77 ± 2.04 ± 0.024 ± 0.019 ±
0.01 0.08 0.04 0.08 13.3 1.08 0.35 0.01 0.02
Bone 0.400 ± 472.4 ± 0.092 ± 0.225 ± 18.8 ± 23.2 ± 3.90 ± 0.141 ± 0.012 ± 0.009 ±
0.33 165.2 0.13 0.02 0.13 18.6 1.28 0.13 0.00 0.01
Scomberomorus Muscle 0.033 ± 7.75 ± 4.29 0.007 ± 0.033 ± 1.79 ± 5.63 ± 4.68 ± 0.012 ± 0.014 ± 0.006 ±
commerson 0.01 0.04 0.00 1.46 2.56 4.13 0.00 0.01 0.01
Gill 0.162 ± 49.5 ± 2.99 0.024 ± 0.054 ± 19.3 ± 6.89 ± 4.47 ± 0.054 ± 0.005 ± 0.044 ±
0.06 0.11 0.02 18.8 1.44 3.77 0.04 0.00 0.04
Liver 0.091 ± 98.2 ± 42.9 0.050 ± 0.078 ± 51.3 ± 13.6 ± 3.54 ± 1.10 ± 0.009 ± 0.016 ±
0.06 0.02 0.05 50.7 4.5 2.53 1.08 0.01 0.01
Bone 0.894 ± 890.6 ± 0.105 ± 0.117 ± 0.249 ± 20.8 ± 1.00 ± 0.462 ± 0.004 ± 0.001 ±
0.46 97.9 0.28 0.01 0.01 0.10 0.01 0.01 0.00 0.00
Euthynnus affinis Muscle 0.110 ± 27.7 ± 9.47 0.014 ± 0.186 ± 5.457 ± 7.28 ± 0.69 ± 0.112 ± 0.028 ± 0.055 ±
0.07 0.20 0.01 2.87 4.15 0.35 0.16 0.04 0.05
Gill 0.039 ± 93.1 ± 68.3 0.061 ± 0.088 ± 17.22 ± 26.5 ± 0.68 ± 0.956 ± 0.006 ± 0.032 ±
0.02 0.13 0.08 8.21 17.6 0.62 0.60 0.00 0.03
Liver 0.031 ± 95.1 ± 76.1 0.038 ± 0.066 ± 4.24 ± 10.8 ± 3.63 ± 1.79 ± 0.021 ± 0.019 ±
0.02 0.05 0.02 0.97 3.82 1.16 0.96 0.00 0.02
Bone 0.217 ± 525 ± 0.240 ± 0.267 ± 12.3 ± 18.4 ± 1.261 ± 0.100 ± 0.006 ± 0.137 ±
0.25 127.1 0.12 0.18 9.80 8.97 0.50 0.07 0.01 0.12

N = 6, values indicate mean ± standard deviation.

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R. Shalini et al. Marine Pollution Bulletin 162 (2021) 111817

Table. 3
Kruskal Wallis test - p value among organs (muscle, gills, liver and bone) of different fish.
Trace element Muscle Gills Liver Bone

Cr 0.105 0.208 0.398 0.203

Fe 0.129 0.793 0.717 0.273
Co 0.419 0.193 0.817 0.055
Ni 0.258 0.615 0.989 0.064
Cu 0.292 0.394 0.329 0.083
Zn 0.752 0.223 0.288 0.204
As 0.381 0.266 0.376 0.598
Cd 0.381 0.217 0.963 0.035*
Hg 0.046* 0.106 0.075 0.076
Pb 0.451 0.949 0.457 0.494
*
Indicates significance at 95% confidence level (p < 0.05).

Table. 4
Kruskal Wallis test p value between organs (muscle, gills, liver and bone) of individual fish.
Trace Sardinella Caranx Lethrinus Siganus Scomberomorus Sphyraena Strongylura Euthynnus
element gibbosa sexfaciatus lentjan canaliculatus commerson jello strongylura affinis

Cr 0.536 0.361 0.082 0.033* 0.027* 0.516 0.147 0.424

Fe 0.633 0.025* 0.282 0.024* 0.015* 0.294 0.022* 0.644
Co 0.727 0.157 0.238 0.270 0.075 0.333 0.033* 0.099
Ni 0.459 0.063 0.147 0.433 0.204 0.306 0.129 0.516
Cu 0.789 0.075 0.183 0.075 0.057 0.442 0.066 0.863
Zn 0.933 0.050* 0.025* 0.024* 0.024* 0.248 0.340 0.218
As 0.442 0.077 0.135 0.644 0.578 0.933 0.691 0.459
Cd 0.016* 0.038* 0.070 0.129 0.043* 0.442 0.347 0.715
Hg 0.622 0.036* 0.034* 0.167 0.789 0.103 0.041* 0.192
Pb 0.668 0.424 0.183 0.578 0.123 0.589 0.776 0.727
*
Indicates significance at 95% confidence level (p < 0.05).

Similarly, in the present study, Euthynnus affinis (a pelagic fish) and
Sardinella gibbosa (a pelagic planktivore) had bioaccumulated a higher
amount of trace elements in the gill, i.e., 138.8 and 137.1 μg/g,
respectively (Table 2). The concentration of Cr was high in the gills in
many fish and that of Pb was high in Caranx sexfaciatus, Siganus canal­
iculatus, Sphyraena jello, and Scomberomorus commerson, which indicated
that the source was water rather than food.
Muscle is not an active part for trace element bioaccumulation. In the
present study, the concentration of Fe, Zn, and Cu was high in the muscle
of fish, which is an indication of their presence in this region (Table 2).
The bioaccumulation of a toxic trace element (Cd) was high in the
muscle of Sphyraena jello and Euthynnus affinis, and that of Hg was high
in the Sphyraena jello and Strongylura strongylura. It is interesting to note
that the predatory fish, namely Strongylura strongylura, Sphyraena jello,
Scomberomorus commerson, and Euthynnus affinis, had Hg accumulation
of 48%, 51%, 44%, and 46%, respectively, in the muscle. Kasper et al.
(2009) also reported that the muscle tissue is a storage place for methyl
mercury. Arsenic is another trace element present in higher concentra­
tion in the muscle. However, this is not of much concern as the con­
centration of toxic inorganic arsenic is reported to range between 0.02%
and 11% of the total arsenic in fish and shellfish (Munoz et al., 2000).
The inorganic As is biotransformed by aquatic organisms into a less toxic
form as arsenobetaine (Zhang et al., 2016). In the present study, a high
concentration of As was observed in the muscle of Scomberomorus
commerson and Siganus canaliculatus. Siganus canaliculatus is a herbivo­
rous fish inhabiting coral reefs. Earlier reports state that Siganus fus­
cescens is a low-trophic-level fish that contains higher amount of As and
has high potential to convert inorganic As to arsenobetaine, which is
accumulated in its body (Zhang et al., 2016).
The present study provides baseline data for the trace element
contamination in different organs of commercially important fish of the
southeast coast of India. Variation in the accumulation of trace elements
was observed in different organs of fish. The accumulation of trace el­
ements in the liver and bone of fish was higher than that in gills and
muscle. The presence of a higher concentration of cadmium in the liver
of predatory fish such as Sphyraena jello Euthynnus affinis, and Scom­
beromorus commerson is an indication of cadmium pollution in the re­
gion. However, the concentration of toxic trace elements such as arsenic,
cadmium, mercury, and lead in the edible portion of fish was lower than
the maximum residual limit set by European Union and Codex Ali­
mentarius Commission (Table 5), thus indicating that the fish of this
region are safe for consumption.
CRediT authorship contribution statement
Rajendran Shalini: Conceptualization, Writing the original draft,
data Analysis and Investigation.
Geevaretnam Jeyasekaran: Writing - Review & Editing and Funding
acquisition.
Robinson Jeya Shakila: Conceptualization, supervision and original
draft correction.
Ulaganathan Arisekar: Sample collection, data analysis and data
curation.
Declaration of competing interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial
interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence
the work reported in this paper

4
R. Shalini et al. Marine Pollution Bulletin 162 (2021) 111817

Cluster A

Cluster B

Fig. 1. Dendrogram of trace element (non-essential metals: Cr, Co, Ni, As, Cd, Hg and Pb) accumulation in the organs of fish.

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