Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals in Sediment and Crab, Portunus pelagicus From Persian Gulf, Iran

Persian Gulf supports diverse ecosystems and biota in need of remediation and protection and metal data from this region is needed. The levels of heavy metal in tissues (hepatopancreas, muscle and exoskeleton) of blue swimming crab, Portunus pelagicus and sediments in the Persian Gulf coasts, south Iran were investigated. Heavy metals analysis was performed by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The results showed that variable levels of some of the metals in the sediments and crab samples. Some of the metals were higher than others, in some stations and on the different body components. The distribution pattern of heavy metals in the tissues of crab and sediments was as follows: sediment > hepatopancreasn > muscle > exoskeleton. The most concentrated was Cu (64.89±01.46 µg/g) while the least concentration was obtained in Pb (0.08±0.02 µg/g). Maximum concentration of the total heavy metal in sediments and all tissues of P.pelagicus observes in Bahrekan station (P<0.05). There was no significant difference (P<0.05) between the level of heavy metals in the tissues of the crab P.pelagicus. Differences in heavy metal among waders could have resulted from diverse feeding habitats and dissimilar foraging stations.