Assessment of water trace element pollution on the basis of trace element contents analysis of aquatic organisms using ICP-MS

2002 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 12680546
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: 環境影響評価(含放射線生物学)
• Research Institution: KYUSHU UNIVERSITY
• Principal Investigator: NAKAGAWA Hisai Faculty of Agriculture, Associate Professor, 農学研究院, 助教授 (50091377)
• Project Period (FY): 2000 – 2002
• Keywords: Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) / trace element analysis / standard addition method / crusian carp / black snail / pen shell / inorganic tissue concentration / water element pollution

Research Abstract

By using three kinds of biological reference materials, a pretreatment method of samples was developed and a determination method of trace metal contents by ICP-MS was established. The pretreatment method which we developed is a method of microwave acid digestion. The established determination method utilizing ICP-MS has become the standard addition method. In this study, the content of 14 kinds of trace metals in aquatic organisms was determined using the established combination methods. The determined samples used were various tissues of crucian carp (Carassius auratus langsdorfii) and pen shell (Atrina pectinata), and mixture of mid-gut gland and gonad of black snail (Semisulcospira libertina). Based on the metal content of crucian carp, black snail, and pen shell, the characteristics of the metal concentrations of the water where they inhabited and the characteristics of accumulation and distribution of trace metals in different tissue types of pen shell are discussed. The results are summarized as follows: 1) In comparison with the metal content in the body kidney and liver of crucian carp collected at various sampling locations within Fukuoka Prefecture and the metal concentrations of the water where they inhabited, As in Chikugo river water, and Cr, Cu, Zn, and Mo in Umi river water were found to be the most abundant trace metals. 2) In comparison with the metal content in the liver of crucian carp, the metal content in the mixture of mid-gut gland and gonad of black snail tended to be higher, and in particular, Mn, Co and Ni contents were several hundred times higher. 3) In comparison with the metal content in different tissues of pen shell, high metal contents were found in kidney tissues, whereas low metal contents were found in adductor muscle tissues. Many metals were found to have significant inter-tissue correlations, while metal contents were found to have significant intra-tissue correlations.