Comparison of metal concentrations in Corbicula fluminea and Elliptio hopetonensis in the Altamaha River system, Georgia, USA

Abstract

The present study evaluated the use of the invasive clam Corbicula fluminea as a surrogate for metal accumulation in native mussels. The tissue concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn were analyzed in Corbicula and a native Unionid mussel species (Elliptio hopetonensis) collected from 13 sites in the Altamaha River system (GA, USA). Corbicula accumulated greater concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Hg, and Ni when compared to E. hopetonensis at the same sites. The reverse was true for the metals Mn and Zn, with E. hopetonensis accumulating greater concentrations than Corbicula. Concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Hg, and Pb were found to be significantly (alpha = 0.05) positively correlated between the two species. Greater water alkalinity and hardness tended to negatively correlate with metal accumulation, while organism size tended to correlate positively with tissue concentrations. Tissue Cd, Cu, and Pb concentrations demonstrated a correlation between bivalve tissues and concentrations of those metals in fine sediments. These correlations were significant (alpha = 0.05) for Cd and Cu concentrations in Corbicula and Pb concentrations in E. hopetonensis. The present findings support the hypothesis that bioaccumulation of some metals by Corbicula can be used to approximate levels accumulated by co-occurring native mussel species.

Distribution, Source and Risk Assessment of Heavy Metal(oid)s in Water, Sediments, and Corbicula Fluminea of Xijiang River, China

“…The average contents of As, Ni, Cu, Sb, Mn, Co, and Zn in C. fluminea from the Xijiang River were higher than that observed in the Odiel River (4.30, 0.99, 44.03, 4.30, 30.77, 0.80, and 128.67 mg kg −1 d.w.) of Spain [59], especially the content of Cd was more than five times higher (0.64 mg kg −1 d.w.), with the exception of Pb, for which the average concentration was slightly lower (2.98 mg kg −1 d.w.). When compared with Altamaha River of USA [60], the soft tissue concentrations of Mn, Cd, Zn, and Pb in C. fluminea from the Xijiang River were much higher (51.8, 2.57, 131, and 0.57 mg kg −1 d.w.); however, the As, Cu, and Ni were lower than those of the Altamaha River (4.74, 70.0, and 3.88 mg kg −1 d.w.).…”

Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) as a biomonitor of trace elements along the southern shoreline of Lake Michigan

“…Despite the fact that invasive species are frequently assumed to be good surrogates for native bivalves, very few studies have made direct comparisons between tissue bioaccumulation of co‐occurring freshwater bivalves . Although a few studies have compared D. polymorpha to co‐occurring quagga mussels D. bugensis , this appears to be the first study to make a comparison with Corbicula .…”

“…In aquatic systems, bivalves have come to be considered the biomonitor par excellence. The ubiquity, abundance, ease of sampling, low mobility, and filter‐feeding lifestyle of various cosmopolitan and invasive bivalve species make them attractive surrogates for bioavailable contaminants . There is also evidence that bioaccumulation of metals in their shells and biomarker responses can increase their power to biomonitor aquatic systems .…”

Heavy metal concentrations inCipangopaludina chinensis(Reeve, 1863) and relationships with sediments in Saint-Augustin Lake, Québec City (Qc, Canada)

“…The capacity of filter feeders, in particular of mussels to concentrate manganese has been known for about a century (Bradley, 1907a(Bradley, , 1907b. In fact the highest concentrations were measured in E. Hopetonensis (Shoultz-Wilson et al, 2010) and in Unio pictorum mancus (Ravera et al, 2003). Iron is another essential metal, generally abundant in any environment, and has several properties similar to those of manganese.…”