Copper, zinc and cadmium in marine cage fish farm sediments: An extensive survey

• Published in: Environmental pollution (1987) 2007, Vol.145 (1), p.84-95
• Main Authors: Dean, Rebecca J., Shimmield, Tracy M., Black, Kenneth D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Aquaculture - methods; Cadmium; Cadmium - analysis; Copper; Copper - analysis; Diet - adverse effects; Ecosystem; Environmental Exposure - adverse effects; Environmental Pollutants - analysis; fish cages; Fish farm; fish farms; Fish feed; fish feeding; Geologic Sediments - chemistry; Marine; Salmo salar; Salmon; Scotland; Seasons; sediment contamination; Sediments; spatial distribution; spring; surveys; Water - chemistry; winter; Zinc; Zinc - analysis
• ISSN: 0269-7491; 1873-6424
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2006.03.050

The diet of cage-farmed Atlantic salmon contains a range of trace metals, some of which have toxic properties, e.g. zinc, copper and cadmium. A survey of metal concentrations (ICP-MS analysis) in surface sediments of ca. 70 stations was carried out in both May and December 2000 around a Scottish fish farm. Additionally, at 13 stations on 2 orthogonal transects centered on the farm, sediments were analysed at 1 cm intervals to 8 cm depth. Maximum concentrations in surface sediments were 921, 805 and 3.5 μg g −1 for Zn, Cu and Cd, respectively, and were found at stations near the fish farm. The calculated losses from the farm (feed input minus fish output) were 87.0%, 4.3% and 14.0% of the background-corrected inventories for Zn, Cu and Cd, respectively, indicating that for Cu and Cd at least, the feed is not the only source. Sediments around a salmon farm show extremely high levels of zinc, copper and cadmium contamination.