Heavy Metal Concentrations in Fish Species from Three Gorges Reservoir, China, After Impoundment

The concentrations of Pb, Cr, Cd, As, and Hg were analyzed in the muscles of eleven fish species collected from the Wanzhou section of the Three Gorges Reservoir, Yangtze River, China. The results showed that the concentrations of Pb, Cr, Cd, As, and Hg in the muscles of all of the fish species were lower than the proposed limits. The metal concentrations (Pb, Cr, Cd, and As) of pelagic fish species were found to be substantially lower than those in benthic fish species. The concentrations of Hg in carnivorous fish were higher than those in omnivorous fish. Compared with data obtained prior to the impoundment of the Three Gorges Reservoir, the concentration of Hg in the fish did not significantly increase after impoundment, while the concentrations of Pb, Cr, Cd, and As in the fish decreased.