STUDY ON LEVELS OF Cu IN LIVER, OVARIES, TESTES AND MUSCULATURE OF HYDROBIONTS FROM WATERBODIES IN STARA ZAGORA REGION, BULGARIA

Elitsa Valkova, Vasil Atanasov, Boicho Bivolarski, Nadia Bozakova, Penka Valkova

Abstract: The concentrations of the element Cu were determined in liver, ovaries, testes and musculature by common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) as well as in musculature by mussel Dreissena polymorpha from 3 waterbodies in Stara Zagora region using atomic absorption spectrometry. The sampling was carried out in two studied period: from May to December 2010 and from May to August 2011. The levels of the investigated element Cu (copper) are higher in the liver than in the musculature of studied fish species (liver of carps from Ovcharica Dam - concentration of Cu - 9.99 mg / kg and musculature – 0.68 mg/kg for the period from May to December 2010). Such an accumulation (but to lower degree) for that heavy element is observed in fish gonads (ovaries of carps from Ovcharica Dam - 4.8
mg/kg for the period from May to August 2011). The results of copper content studies in the liver, ovaries, testes and musculature of hydrobionts caught by the aforementioned waterbodies in the period May - December 2010 confirm those of the period May - August 2011. Since the established values of Cu were significantly lower in musculature, ovaries and testes of hydrobionts of studied waterbodies, a more reliable biological indicator is a liver of aquabionts.
As an organ with the highest metabolic workload, it has accumulated high levels of heavy metals during the live and could be used as an object of a retrospective ecological- biochemical monitoring.

Keywords: Cyprinus carpio L.; Dreissena polymorpha; liver; musculature; ovaries; testes; waterbodies

Date published: 2023-01-30