Heavy metals in crevalle jack, Caranx hippos, and their non-intestinal parasitic helminths from Playa las Barrancas, Alvarado, Veracruz, Mexico

Abstract

In nine Caranx hippos specimens, Cd, Pb, Cr, and Cu concentration was determined in tissues (muscle and gonad) and parasites (nematodes and cestodes). The fish were caught from February to June 2019 in Las Barrancas, Alvarado Beach, Veracruz, Mexico. Heavy metals were quantified using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The results of the average concentration of pollutants were, Cr = 0.18 ± 0.05 mg kg-1 dry weight (dw); Cu = 0.2 ± 0.1 mg kg-1 dw; Pb = 0.022 ± 0.01 mg kg-1 dw; Cd = <0.003 mg kg-1 dw. Among the tissues, Cu was the one with the highest concentration in nematodes vs. cestodes (2.2:1); vs. gonad (2.5:1); vs. muscle (2.7:1). Due to the concentration registered in Caranginema americanum nematodes could be identified as a bioindicator species for Cu pollutant. The values generally do not exceed the limits established in the Mexican National Standard (NOM-242-SSA1-2009) for Cd and Pb (0.5 mg kg-1). Records of heavy metals do not represent a health risk from consuming C. hippos.