A comparison of the differential accumulation of cadmium in the tissues of three species of freshwater fish, Salmo gairdneri, Rutilus rutilus and Noemacheilus barbatulus

Roach and stone loach were exposed to cadmium dissolved in their aquarium water at 500 and 1250 micrograms/l, respectively, and the distribution of the metal accumulated in the major body organs was determined. The pattern of distribution for each species was somewhat different and was distinct in each case from that observed previously with rainbow trout. The total body loads of cadmium accumulated by the three species were assessed during the period of exposure and found not to correlate directly with the concentration of cadmium to which the individual species had been exposed. An alternative comparator was devised which as the quotient of the total body cadmium accumulation (microgram/100 g body wt) and the notional cadmium dose (microgram/l) X weeks was described as a fractional retention coefficient for cadmium. The coefficient was constant for each species at different periods of exposure to cadmium alone. The values of the coefficient for roach and stone loach were however much lower than that for rainbow trout. When rainbow trout were preexposed to zinc (100 micrograms/l, 5 days) before being exposed to cadmium, the fractional retention coefficient for cadmium fell to a value similar to those seen with roach and stone loach exposed to cadmium alone. The significance of these observations in relation to the nature of the intracellular proteins to which cadmium is bound in the three species is discussed in the light of their differential susceptibility to the toxic effects of cadmium.