Background: The pollution of aquatic ecosystems with heavy metals has always been a major concern for the aquatic organisms and human health. Measuring the levels of contaminants such as heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Cu and Zn) accumulated along the food chain (fish) and then transmitted to the human body is of particular interest.

Materials and Methods: Heavy metals were evaluated by wet digestion for fish tissues using HNO3/ HCLO4 and also by wet digestion for sediment using the three acid mixture (HNO3, H2SO4, HCLO4). The extracts were determined using flame atomic absorption (FAAS).

Results: The result showed that the different accumulation values for heavy metals in sediment, muscle and the liver tissues of Cyprinus carpio fish, while the mean concentration of the heavy metals for Zn were : 66.44±5.81, 23.45±3.06 , 27.32±4.27, Cu: 14.1±3.38, 2.71±1. 6, 4.94±3.39, Pb: 9.46±2.77, 0.97 ±1.25, 1.787±0.96, Cd: 1.98±0.71, 0.23 ±0.14, 0.436 ±0.36 (μg dry weight), respectively.

Conclusion: The results indicate that metal accumulation in fish liver is higher than fish tissue and also the heavy metal concentrations in the tissues of most fish samples taken from Anzali wetland were significant. The levels of copper and zinc were lower than the standard levels of FAO, UK (MAFF), WHO, NHMRC, but Lead concentration exceed the standard level of WHO and Cadmium exceeds the standard level of FAO, NHRC.