Comparison of trace metal bioavailabilities in European coastal waters using mussels from Mytilus edulis complex as biomonitors

Abstract

Mussels from Mytilus edulis complex were used as biomonitors of the trace metals Fe, Mn, Pb, Zn, and Cu at 17 sampling sites to assess the relative bioavailability of metals in coastal waters around the European continent. Because accumulated metal concentrations in a given area can differ temporally, data were corrected for the effect of season before large-scale spatial comparisons were made. The highest concentration of Fe was noted in the North Sea and of Mn in the Baltic. Increased tissue concentrations of Pb were recorded in the mussels from the Bay of Biscay and the Baltic Sea. Low concentrations of metals were determined in the mussels from the Mediterranean Sea and the Northern Baltic. Relatively low geographic variations of Cu and Zn indicate that mussels are able to partially regulate accumulated body concentrations, which means Cu and Zn are, to some extent, independent of environmental concentrations.

A first report on coexistence and hybridization of Mytilus trossulus and M. edulis mussels in Greenland

“…The stratification is caused by melt water from the rivers and glacier runoff of approximately 110 9 10 6 m 3 freshwater, which flows on top of the heavier seawater, creating a stagnant water mass in the bottom of the fiords and thus salinities from 34 down to (Møller 1984). Based on findings of M. trossulus in areas of lower salinities, studies relate this to a higher tolerance to lower salinities compared to M. edulis, a theory that is further backed up by experiments documenting a higher tolerance for M. trossulus at early life history stages (e.g., Qiu et al 2002;Ridgway and Naevdal 2004;Przytarska et al 2010;Zbawicka et al 2014). While the two taxa in most studies are suggested to be physiologically differentiated with respect to salinity, one must bear in mind that areas characterized by lower salinity are also often subjected to significant variation in other environmental factors such as pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen and particulate loadings (Gardner and Thompson 2001), and the proportion of M. edulis vs. M. trossulus may not be solely attributed to a single environmental factor such as salinity.…”

Comparison of PCBs and PAHs levels in European coastal waters using mussels from the Mytilus edulis complex as biomonitors

“…Since the mussels for the current study were collected in different geographical regions, the Seasonal Variation Coefficient (SVC; Przytarska et al, 2010) was calculated based on available literature data and the results of this study. The SVC was calculated as the ratio of PCB/PAH concentration at a particular site in a given season and PCB/PAH concentration from the same site in spring.…”

The effect of size, weight, body compartment, sex and reproductive status on the bioaccumulation of 19 trace elements in rope-grown Mytilus galloprovincialis

“…As the influence of the mussel size on soft tissue TE levels still appears to be ambiguous (Przytarska et al, 2010), the second objective of this study was to model the effect of the mussel shell length and dry flesh weight on concentrations and contents of the 19 investigated TEs. Knowing that the accumulation of reserves during the sexual dormancy and their subsequent mobilization during gonadal development influence TE levels and body compartmentalization in Mytilus spp.…”