DETERMINING MERCURY CONTAMINATION IN INDIAN SPINY TURBOT, PSETTODES ERUMEI, FROM JASK PORT COASTAL WATERS, IRAN

In this research we assessed the concentration of total mercury in the muscle, liver and gill tissues of Indian spiny turbot, Psettodes erumei caught from Jask coastal waters in Hormozgan province. Fifteen fish specimen were caught using trawl in spring season 2008. After biometrical measurements and sex determination, muscle, liver and gill tissues were collected, mercury was extracted from the tissues using chemical digestion method with pure nitric acid and its concentration was determined using AAS. The mean concentration of Mercury among body parts, but not between males and females, showed significant differences (P<0.05). The analyses of results using one way t-test showed that muscle and liver contained the lowest and the highest concentration of Hg, respectively. The concentration of Hg in gill was 19.98±1.35 mg.Kg^-1 dw. The analyses of results showed that concentration of total Hg in muscle tissue was lower than the limit set by WHO, FAO and UKMAFF standards. Mercury content in sediment samples compared with American and Canadian standards and was lower than that of ERM, PEL, SEL and greater than that of SQRT, ISQG, ERL, and LEL standards.