Author(s)

Ikram El Qoraychy^1*, Mohamed Fekhaoui², Abdellah El Abidi³, Rachid Benakame³, Abdelkbir Bellaouchou¹, Ahmed Yahyaoui¹

¹Laboratory of Zoology and General Biology, Faculty of Science, Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco.
²Scientific Institute, Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco.
³National Institute of Hygiene, Rabat, Morocco.

Different concentrations of four metals namely copper, lead, chrome and cadmium were evaluated in crayfish Procambarus clarkii tissues (carapace, flesh) for a six-month period, from March to August 2013 in the Rharb of Morocco (Lagoon Merja Zerga and Nador canal). The determination of heavy metals was carried using atomic absorption spectroscopy Varian VV20. The results obtained revealed a metal’s contamination of Procambarus clarkii in both sites. Concentrations of heavy metals examined Procambarus clarkii carapace ranged as follows: Merja Zerga (Pb 2.07 - 6.7 μg/g; Cu 2.9 - 9.97 μg/g; Cr 0.89 - 14.22 μg/g dry weight) and Nador canal: (Pb 0.08 - 7.8 μg/g; Cu 3.40 - 9.3 μg/g ; Cr 0.87 - 3.5 μg/g dry weight). Concentrations of heavy metals found in flesh were as follows: Merja Zerga (Pb 0.02 - 5.25 μg/g; Cu 9.58 - 23.59 μg/g; Cr 0 - 2.71 μg/g dry weight) and Nador canal (Pb 0.06 - 6.81 μg/g; Cu 9.5 - 37.20 μg/g; Cr 0 - 3.23 μg/g dry weight). The distribution of those metals in Procambarus clarkii shows high levels of contamination for lead, copper and chrome with an absence of cadmium in both sites (Merja Zerga and Nador canal). The concentrations differed in carapace and flesh.

Procambarus clarkii, Heavy Metals, Merja Zerga, Nador Canal, Morocco

El Qoraychy, I. , Fekhaoui, M. , El Abidi, A. , Benakame, R. , Bellaouchou, A. and Yahyaoui, A. (2015) Accumulation of Copper, Lead, Chrome, Cadmium in Some Tissues of Procambarus clarkii in Rharb Region in Morocco. Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection, 3, 74-81. doi: 10.4236/gep.2015.38008.