Assessment of the Essential Element and Toxic Heavy Metals in Hatchery Reared Oncorhynchus mykiss

In this study 80 samples of Oncorhynchus mykiss were collected from hatcheries located in Murree, Swat and Badian (the Northern Pakistan) to determine concentrations of some essential and toxic elements. Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry was used for the analysis of trace metal concentration in relation to body size of fish. It was observed that total quantity of these metals i.e., Mn, Cu, Cr, Co and Cd increased isometrically, while Na, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn and Pb showed negative allometry with increasing body weight of O. mykiss Mg, Mn, Fe, Cu, Cr, Co and Cd showed isometric growth with increasing body length. However Na, K, Ca, Zn and Pb showed negative allometry with an increase body length. Ni was not quantifiable. Results showed that predictive models were significant (P < 0.001) and Variance inflation factor values of regression coefficients in multiple regression analysis for each variable were lesser than 10. © 2010 Friends Science Publishers