Accumulation and depuration of mercury in the American oyster Crassostrea virginica
- 67 Downloads
- 41 Citations
Abstract
To study the kinetics of mercury uptake in oysters, adult Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin) were held in seawater containing 10 μg mercury/l (ppb) or 100 μg mercury/l (ppb), added in the form of mercuric acetate, for 60 days. Mercury concentration in tissues was determined by analysis of individually homogenized oyster meats, using wet digestion and flameless absorption spectrophotometry. After 45 days, average mercury tissue concentration was 140,000 μg mercury/kg tissue (ppb) and 28,000 μg mercury/kg tissue (ppb) in the 100 ppb and 10 ppb experimental groups, respectively. After this time, concentrations dropped sharply, probably due to spawning. Clearance of mercury from tissue was studied by exposing treated adults to estuarine water (with no additions) for 30 days (100 ppb group) and 160 days (10 ppb group). Tissue concentrations in the 100 ppb mercury environment group declined from 115,000 to 65,000 ppb, and those of the 10 ppb group declined from 18,000 to 15,000 ppb, in 18 days; there-after, no further decline occurred in either group. Oysters accumulated mercury 1,400 times and 2,800 times above the environmental concentrations of 100 and 10 ppb mercury, respectively. Total self-purification was not achieved over a 6 month cleansing period.
Keywords
Mercury Spectrophotometry Tissue Concentration Mercury Concentration Environmental ConcentrationPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Literature Cited
- Brooks, R. R. and M. G. Rumsby: The biogeochemistry of trace element uptake by some New Zealand bivalves. Limnol. Oceanogr. 10, 521–528 (1965).Google Scholar
- Craig, S.: Toxic ions in bivalves. J. Am. osteop. Ass. 66 (9), 1000–1002 (1967).Google Scholar
- Delaware River Basin Commission: Mercury sampling results-Delaware River, Trenton, N. J. (Internal publication) 1970.Google Scholar
- deWitt, W.: Water quality variation in the Broadkill River estuary. Doctoral Thesis, Newark, Delaware: University of Delaware 1971.Google Scholar
- Galtsoff, P.: The American oyster, Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin). Fishery Bull. Fish Wildl. Serv. U.S. 64, 1–480 (1964).Google Scholar
- Hatch, W. R. and W. L. Ott: Determination of sub-microgram quantities of mercury by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Analyt. Chem. 40 (14), 2085–2087 (1968).Google Scholar
- Johnels, A. G. and T. Westermark: Mercury contamination of the environment of Sweden. In: Chemical fallout, pp 221–241. Ed. by M. Miller and G. Berg, Springfield, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas Publishers 1969.Google Scholar
- Klein, D. and E. Goldberg: Mercury in the marine environment. Environ. Sci. Technol. 4 (9), 765–768 (1970).Google Scholar
- Kurland, L. T., S. N. Faro and H. Siedler: Minamata disease: the outbreak of neurological disorders in Minamata, Japan and its relationship to the ingestion of seafood contaminated by mercury. Wld Neurol. 1 (5), 370–391 (1960).Google Scholar
- Lowe, J., P. Wilson, A. Rick and A. Wilson: Chronic exposure of oysters to DDT, toxaphene, and parathion. Proc. natn. Shellfish. Ass. 61, 71–79 (1971).Google Scholar
- Pringle, B., D. Hissong, E. Katz and S. Mulawka: Trace metal accumulation by estuarine molluska. J. sanit. Engng Div. Am. Soc. civ. Engrs 94 (5970), 455–475 (1968).Google Scholar
- Shuster, C. and B. Pringle: Trace metal accumulation by the American oyster, Crassostrea virginica. Proc. natn. Shell-fish. Ass. 59, 93–103 (1969).Google Scholar
- Steel, R. G. and J. H. Torrie: Principles and procedures of statistics, 481 pp. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Co. 1960.Google Scholar
- Tokuomi, H., T. Okajima, J. Kanai, M. Tsunoda, Y. Ichiyasu, H. Misumi, K. Shimomura and M. Takalsa: Minamata disease. Wld Neurol. 2 (6), 536–544 (1961).Google Scholar