Trace Element Contamination in Top Predatory Elasmobranchs From the Southern Black Sea: Implications for Ecosystem...

Environmental pollution resulting from the rapid increase in human population, urbanization, intensive use of chemicals in agriculture, and industrial development has reached a level that threatens natural life today. Trace elements are one of the most important factors causing significant levels of pollution in the environment and are added to marine ecosystems in high concentrations because of both natural cycles and non-cycle factors. While essential metals show functional properties by entering the structural composition of living organisms at low concentrations, it is known that non-essential metals do not have any biological function. Deficiency or high concentrations of metals, which are required in trace amounts by living organisms for vital events, and the effect of toxic metals at low concentrations cause disturbances in metabolic and physiological events, accumulation in tissues and organs, and are transported to higher trophic levels at increasing values through the food chain, ultimately causing significant environmental and health problems. The aim of this study was to determine the concentrations of Al, Cr, Mn, Fe Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Hg, and Pb in the muscle tissues of Squalus acanthias, Raja clavata, and Dasyatis pastinaca from the southern Black Sea. By focusing on these non-commercial but ecologically important top predators, the study contributes to the assessment of ecological risks and management strategies for the region.