Abstract
The level and distribution of heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd) and organochlorine pesticides, hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) isomers and sum DDT, were investigated in water, sediments and fishes samples collected from Danube River and Research Farm Brateº, ICDEAPA Galaþi. Determinations were effectuated trough spectrophotometer with atomic absorption for heavy metals and organochlorine pesticides were determined trough gas-chromatography method AOAC 970.52. In conformity with effectuated studies, all samples showed a relatively low degree of contamination with heavy metals and organochlorine pesticides. Concentration of heavy metals from Danube River is higher than the samples concentration from Brates Farm. The highest values are registered in the samples of Danube water (Pb 124 ng.L-1, Cd 232 ng.L-1) in comparison with the values of samples from water collected from Brateº Farm (Pb 30.6 ng.L-1). The level of heavy metals bioaccumulation in fish is similarly in the samples from Danube and Brateº Farm. From the investigated organochlorine compounds were identified α-HCH and γ-HCH in Danube water samples. The level of organochlorine pesticides from fish is higher in the samples collected from Brateº Farm than in the samples from Danube River, especially from the point of view of DDT (H. molitrix H2+ 93 μg.kg-1, C. carpio C2+ 121 μg.kg-1, A. nobilis A3+ 96 μg.kg-1).
All investigated samples contained heavy metals and organochlorine pesticides levels below the official Romanian norms.