No abstract

The concentrations of Ag, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, Mn, and Fe in the soft tissue of the cockle Cerastoderma glaucum from six sites along the Mediterranean Lagoon Etang de Thau were determined by AAS; Hg was determined by the cold-vapor technique. Significant spatial variations in metal concentrations within the lagoon were recorded. Elevated levels of tissue Pb, Cr, and Hg in the Etang des Eaux Blanches, an area adjacent to the harbor and highly industrialized region, are likely of anthropogenic origin. Seasonally dependent variations in the tissue concentrations of trace elements at Crique de l'Angle were observed. The highest levels of Cr and Pb in the tissue were identified in March 1992, of Hg, Co, and Fe in period August 1990-January 1991, of Mn in August 1992, and Ag in January 1991. The gills contained the maximum amounts of Co and Ni, the mantle the most Fe and Hg, and the digestive gland (hepatopancreas) had most Cu.

No abstract

Concentrations of Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu, Ag, Cr, Co Ni, Mn, andFe in soft tissues and byssi of blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) fromthree sites along the east coast of Kyushu Island, Japan, were determined byAAS method. Large inter-regional differences in metal concentrations in bothsoft tissues and byssi (Cu, Cd, and Pb and Cu, Pb, Co, Ni, Mn, and Fe,respectively) were recorded. Highly significant correlations (p< 0.01) were observed between tissue and byssal concentrations of Pb,Cu, Zn, and Mn. The tissue concentrations of Cu, Cd, and Pb were two ordersof magnitude greater in Mytilus edulis from expected to be themost contaminated locations compared to those from a nonindustrialized area. Intercomparison of the present study data with those published previouslyindicates that the soft tissue and especially byssus are useful in detectingsome areas of some metallic contaminants. The high concentrations of Cd, andespecially Pb and Cu, in Saganoseki mussels and moderately elevatedconcentrations of these metals in Akamizu mussels may be attributed to theanthropogenic emissions from a metallic refinery and an artificial fiberfactory, respectively. It is evident that, compared to the soft tissue, theincrease of Cu levels relative to Zn levels in the byssi of M.edulis are eight times higher, with a slope b (Cu/Zn) of 7.5 for byssusand 0.93 for soft tissue. This suggests that byssus, as compared to softtissue, is a more sensitive bioindicator for Cu. From the data obtained, thesoft tissue and especially byssi of M. edulis appear to be goodbioindicators for identification of coastal areas exposed to metalliccontaminants.

No abstract