Trace elements concentrations in aquatic biota from the Iron Gates wetlands in Romania

Concentration of four heavy metals was studied in living organisms from the wetlands ecosystems within the Iron Gates Natural Park in Romania. Samples included aquatic plants (Ceratophyllum ssp., Potamogeton pectinatus, Potamogeton natans), molluscs (Sinanodonta woodiana, Unio tumidus, Unio pictorum) and fish (Silurus glanis, Sander lucioperca, Aspius aspius, Cyprinus carpio, Carassius gibelio). Metals organotropism in fish samples (gills, liver, muscle, eggs) has been studied (Kojadinovici et al., 2007; Foata et. Al, 2009; Dutton and Fisher, 2011; David et al., 2012). Metal contamination of the wetland ecosystems in the Iron Gates Natural Park has been documented in the past for sediments (Matache et. al, 2002) and soils (Matache et al., 2003). This is a consequence of the mining and quarrying activities performed in the Moldova Noua region between 1960's and 2000's. Zinc is the main metal contaminant in all categories of collected samples. For fish muscle tissue (part of the fish mainly consumed by the local inhabitants), comparison with EU standards has been performed. Issues related to human health appear especially for cadmium (EC, 2006). Potamogeton pectinatus is the least accumulating plant species, whilst Potamogeton natans and Ceratophyllum ssp. had shown similar accumulation capacities of the trace elements.