Between 2011 and 2013, the concentrations of chromium, nickel, zinc and copper were determined in the muscle of different species of freshwater fish (omnivorous and predatory), in water and in sediments. Samples were collected from 10 areas, including the major rivers and lakes in Poland, affected by different sources of environmental pollution (industrial, municipal, and agricultural). The concentrations of Cr, Ni, Zn and Cu were analysed by atomic absorption spectrometry in 397 muscle and liver samples of fish and in 128 samples of sediments and water. The analytical procedures were covered by the quality assurance programme. The present studies showed that the average concentrations of chromium (0.065 mg/kg) and nickel (0.043 mg/kg) in the muscles of fish were low. The concentrations of zinc and copper were higher: 12.64 mg/kg in the muscles and 32.88 mg/kg in the liver for Zn, and, 0.44 mg/kg in the muscles and 10.81 mg/kg in the liver for Cu. The concentrations of the elements under analysis in water were below the limit of quantification methods. The highest concentrations of these elements were found in sediments from the Vistula River at the height of Kraków and Warsaw and from the Odra River at the height of Wrocław. Our studies and results from the available literature indicate that the concentrations of Cr, Ni, Zn, and Cu in the tissues of fish do not pose a risk to consumers’ health.
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