Linking trophic ecology with element concentrations in a coastal fish community of the Bijagos Archipelago, West Africa

We report the concentration of 13 elements in the muscle and liver of 17 coastal fish species of the Bijag & PRIME;os Archipelago, Guinea-Bissau, and link element concentrations to trophic ecology as assessed by carbon (delta C-13) and nitrogen (delta N-15) stable isotopes. We found higher concentrations of Hg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Se and As in liver as compared to muscle tissue, and the opposite pattern for Sr and Ca in all fish species. The concentration of Hg and Se in muscle samples increased significantly with delta N-15, suggesting a biomagnification of these elements in this food chain. The concentrations of Ca and Sr, Fe and Cr, Ca and Mn, and Fe and Mn were positively correlated to each other in more than 50% of the studied species. Fish constitute the most important animal protein source for people in Guinea-Bissau, and thus assessing the concentrations of potentially toxic elements is relevant for human health.

Automated summary

The concentrations of 13 elements in the muscle and liver of 17 coastal fish species in the Bijag & PRIME;os Archipelago, Guinea-Bissau were reported in this study. The results showed higher concentrations of certain elements in the liver than in the muscle tissue, except for Sr and Ca in all fish species. There was a significant increase in the concentrations of Hg and Se in muscle samples with increasing trophic ecology indicators, indicating biomagnification in the food chain.