BROWN TROUT AS BIOMONITOR OF HEAVY-METAL POLLUTION - EFFECT OF AGE ONTHE RELIABILITY OF THE ASSESSMENT

Brown trout (Salmo truffa L.) is a native fish of the rivers of northe rn Spain. It is the dominant fish species in these rivers, and it is w idespread over all the range of freshwater ecosystems in the area, inc luding ecosystems potentially polluted with heavy metals. In this stud y, the potential of brown trout as biomonitor of heavy metal pollution and the effect of fish age on the reliability of the assessment are a nalyzed. Copper, lead, and cadmium concentrations of both abiotic comp artments (water and sediments) and brown trout (S. trutta) from three northern Spanish rivers were analyzed. Significant correlations were f ound between sediment lead content and lead concentration in trout liv er. One-year-old juvenile trouts were demonstrated to be useful as a b iomonitor of copper and lead pollution, revealing between location dif ferences. Older trouts do not seem adequate to properly monitor heavy metal pollution. The effect of aging on the reliability of this specie s as biomonitor is discussed. (C) 1998 Academic Press.