EN
The aim of our work was to compare the concentrations of zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), and copper (Cu) in the meat, gills, and liver of perch (Perca fluviatilis L.) caught from lakes Góreckie, Strzeszyńskie, and Wędromierz in western Poland. The study involved 30 individual fish caught in spring, summer, and autumn. The muscle samples for analyses were taken from the large side muscle of the fish body above the lateral line. Metals concentrations were determined by atomic a Solar 969 absorption spectrophotometer (Unicam). As analysis shows, concentrations of Cu, Zn, and Fe detected in perch decreased in the following order: liver > gills > meat. The accumulation of metals decreased in the following order: Fe > Zn > Cu (in all tissues), and we observed statistically significant differences in Zn, Fe, and Cu concentrations in the same tissue collected from different reservoirs and during different seasons. Considering the analyses in terms of season, the average Cu and Zn contents were highest in the tissues taken in the spring. The highest concentrations of Fe were determined in samples collected during summer. The analyses indicated that concentrations of metals in tissues of fish caught from different reservoirs also showed great variation. Analysis of PCA allowed for a very good separation of the three reservoirs and three tissues investigated.