Forouzan Fatemi - Department of the Environment, Damavand Branch, Islamic Azad University, Damavand, Iran
Shahrzad Khoramnejadian - Department of the Environment, Damavand Branch, Islamic Azad University, Damavand, Iran

Context: Accumulation of toxic metals in aquatic organisms is one of the most important problems facing the world today since thesemetals can enter the food chain and have a damaging impact on human health. Aims: This research determines the concentration of metals(cadmium [Cd], arsenic [As]) in the soft tissue of blue swimmer crab (Portunus pelagicus) from four different stations along the Asalouyehcoasts in Iran. Settings and Design: The West suburb of the Mond protected area in Bushehr Province was chosen as a control area. Sampleswere collected over a 3‑month period during winter of 2014. Materials and Methods: Metal analysis was performed by atomic absorptionspectrophotometer. Surface water at each sampling station was measured for selected physicochemical parameters with a multiparameter meter.Statistical Analysis Used: Analysis of variance followed by Duncan test (α = 0.05) was applied to determine the differences between thegroups. Results: The results showed that the mean concentration (mg/kg dry weight) of Cd in the crab was higher than As. The concentrationof both metals was higher in March. The highest concentration of Cd (1.54 ± 0.07) and As (0.35 ± 0.01) in the samples was observed for station1 which was near to industrial zone of Asalouyeh. The mean concentrations of both metals were significantly (P = 0.000) higher in the studyarea than in the control area. Conclusions: Results showed that P. pelagicus is a reliable biological indicator of Cd and As contamination. Theconcentration of Cd in the crab samples was higher than recommended levels. Therefore, it is not suitable for consumption.

Blue swimmer crab, Persian Gulf, physicochemical parameters, toxic metals