Determination of heavy metals in two barbs, Barbus grypus and Barbus xanthopterus in Karoon and Dez Rivers, Khoozestan, Iran.

Cadmium, lead, nickel and mercury were contamination in gill, liver and muscle of B. grypus and B. xanthopterus in Karoon and Dez Rivers. Significant variations in metal values were evaluated using student's t test at p < 0.05. In B. grypus high levels of cadmium, lead, nickel and mercury were measured in gill (1.49, 2.25, 1.02 and 0.89 mg kg(-1) dw) except for mercury (1.06 mg kg(-1) dw) in B. grypus in Dez River was high in liver. In B. xanthopterus high levels of cadmium, lead, nickel and mercury were measured in gill (2.17, 2.91 and 1.43 mg kg(-1) dw) except for mercury (1.42 mg kg(-1) dw) high levels were measured in liver.