Journal of Aquatic Animal Health 26:278–284, 2014 C  American Fisheries Society 2014 ISSN: 0899-7659 print / 1548-8667 online DOI: 10.1080/08997659.2014.938872 ARTICLE Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals in Blood and Tissue of Striped Mullet in Two Italian Lakes Francesco Fazio and Giuseppe Piccione* Department of Veterinary Science, Polo Universitario dell’Annunziata, University of Messina, 98168 Messina, Italy Katia Tribulato Regional Agency for the Protection of the Environment–Sicily, Department of Messina, Italy Vincenzo Ferrantelli Experimental Zooprophylaxy Institute of Sicily, 90100 Palermo, Italy Giuseppe Giangrosso and Francesca Arfuso Department of Veterinary Science, Polo Universitario dell’Annunziata, University of Messina, 98168 Messina, Italy Caterina Faggio Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy Abstract Water and sediment from Faro and Ganzirri lakes were tested for cadmium, mercury, and lead. These heavy metals have been assessed in serum and muscles of Striped Mullet Mugil cephalus. A haemogram was performed to find effects of heavy metals on haematological variables. Student’s t-test showed higher Pb levels in sediments of Ganzirri Lake than Faro Lake. Two-way analysis of variance showed higher Cd and Pb concentration in muscles samples of Striped Mullet from Ganzirri Lake than from Faro Lake. Significant differences were found among haematological parameters as well. Mullet from Ganzirri Lake had lower white and red blood cell and trombocyte counts and higher mean corpuscular haemoglobin and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration than those from Faro Lake. Our results indicate a significant presence of lead in the environmental produces an accumulation of this metal in fish muscles. Faro and Ganzirri lakes, situated on the north and northeast- ern of Messina, Italy, are particularly vulnerable to the accumu- lation of toxic substances dangerous to aquatic organisms and their consumers (Licata et al. 2003, 2004). This is due to the input of pollutants from urban and agricultural sources as well as low water exchange rates. During the last years pollution by heavy metals in aquatic environment gained great importance because of the risk of tox- *Corresponding author: gpiccione@unime.it Received April 2, 2014; accepted June 16, 2014 icity and bioaccumulation in the food chain (Gochfeld 2003). Natural and anthropogenic sources including industrial and do- mestic sewage, harbor activities, and atmospheric deposits, rep- resent the sources of heavy metals in aquatic ecosystem (Nair et al. 2006). The concentrations of heavy metals accumulated in living organisms reflects the degree of environmental pollution (Canbek et al. 2007). Among aquatic species, fish are a suit- able biomarker of environmental pollution (Padmini and Usha 278 Downloaded by [Univ Studi Basilicata] at 04:03 05 November 2014