Abstract (eng)
No data on the cadmium, copper, zinc and iron contents of cultured trout and carp or of wild and market fish in Austria are available. A total of 608 samples were collected between March 2007 and October 2008. Four fish farms were visited at least twice. At carp sampling site 2, samples were collected eighteen times in the period between April and November 2007. At each sampling date abiotic water parameters were recorded. Water samples, fish, sediment, hydrophytes, macroinvertebrates and zooplankton were collected. Other sampling included market fish and wild fish. Cadmium analysis was carried out by GF-ASS (Graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometer), whereas copper, zinc and iron were analysed by ET-ASS (Flame atomic absorption spectrometry). Carp sampling sites showed higher primary production (represented by chlorophyll-a), turbidity and zooplankton density than trout sampling sites. Cadmium levels in muscle of cultured trout and carp were similar, with the exception of one site where concentrations were three-fold higher in trout. The gut and liver had higher cadmium contents than other organs. Antagonism between iron/cadmium occurred in farmed trout gills and brains. The major factors modifying cadmium accumulation in the fish were sampling site, species, age, weight, length and season. Cadmium in both trout sites accumulated in the muscle with growth. Nonetheless, the concentrations in cultured trout and carp were below the permissible level 50 µg/kg (EC European community regulation No.104/2000 and 2001/22/EC). One swordfish muscle sample exceeded the regulatory guideline (59.4 µg/kg). Copper and iron concentrations in cultured trout and carp were non-detected in muscle. Zinc in muscle was within permissible levels (40 mg/kg). Zinc in cultured young trout and carp muscle showed significantly higher concentrations than in older fish. The organs of wild fish generally showed higher levels of the four metals than those of cultured fish. No evidence was found for cadmium, copper, zinc and iron bioaccumulation. The farmed trout food chain was shorter than the farmed carp food chain because the former fed on commercial pellets, the latter also on zooplankton and macroinvertebrates. The food supplements (pellets) fed to both trout and carp showed high cadmium concentrations ((488 and 218 µg/kg, respectively); some components of the benthos and nekton also showed elevated cadmium levels. Cadmium, copper, zinc and iron levels in the muscle of cultured and wild fish in Austria did not exceed the environmental quality standard.