Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Heavy Metals and Arsenic in Sediments, Mussels and Marine Water from Murano (Venice, Italy)

  • Published:
Environmental Geochemistry and Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper describes a study of the trace element distribution in sediments, marine water and mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis of the Venetian Lagoon around the Island of Murano, an island with a long tradition of glassmaking. Trace elements analysed include Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Cr, Pb, Ni, Ag and As. Sediments are contaminated with Zn, Cu, Ag, As and Pb, with levels in the <2 m fraction that are likely to cause adverse biological effects to marine organisms. The pelite (<63 μm) is the main carrier of heavy metals at most sites. However, the fine-grained and coarse sand on the southern coast of Murano accounts for a significant proportion of Fe, Mn, Zn, Cr, Ag, Ni and Pb. Most trace element concentrations found in soft tissue of mussels appear to be within recommended Italian and international guidelines for shellfish for human consumption, the only exception being relatively high As levels. The bioaccumulation of Ag and Cr is more pronounced in the shell of these organisms. In the marine water of the lagoon, trace elements are more enriched than in other areas of the Mediterranean, with particular reference to the dissolved labile species of Zn, Mn, As, Cu, Ni and Cr.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Albani, A.D., Rickwood, P.C., Favero, V.M. and Sarandrei Barbero, R.: 1989, The geochemical anomalies in sediments on the shelf near the lagoon of Venice, Italy. Marine Pollution Bulletin 20, 438–442.

    Google Scholar 

  • Albani, A.D., Rickwood, P.C., Favero, V.M. and Sarandrei Barbero, R.: 1995, The geochemistry of recent sediments in the lagoon of Venice: environmental implications, Estratto dagli Atti dell'Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti, Tomo 153, 235–321.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barillari, A.: 1981, Distribuzione dei sedimenti superficiali nel bacino meridionale della Laguna di Venezia, Atti dell'Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti, Tomo 139, 89–109.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barillari, A. and Rosso: 1976, Prime notizie sulla distribuzione dei sedimenti superficiali nel bacino settentrionale della Laguna Veneta, Memorie Biogeografiche. Adriatico 9, 13–32.

    Google Scholar 

  • Basu, A. and Molinaroli, E.: 1994, Toxic metals in Venice Lagoon sediments: model, observation, and possible removal, Environmental Geology 24, 203–216.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berti, L., Camilla, S. and Menin, M.: 1998, Acque destinate alla molluschicoltura, in: Ambiente, il Veneto verso il 2000, Giunta Regionale del Veneto. Arcari Industria Grafica S.r.l., Mogliano Veneto, Italy, pp. 137–152.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bryan, G.W., Langston, W.J., Hummerstone, L.G. and Burt, G.R.: 1985, A Guide to the Assessment of Heavy-Metal Contamination in Estuaries Using Biological Indicators, in: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, Occasional Publication Number 4, 92 pp.

  • Burton, J.D. and Statham, P.J.: 1990, Trace Metals in Seawater, in: Furness, R.W. and Rainbow, P.S. (eds) Heavy Metals in the Marine Environment, CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, pp. 5–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Calabrese, E.J.: 1980, Nutrition and Environmental Health, Vol. 1 and 2, Wiley, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campesan, G., Fossato, V.U. and Stocco, G.: 1981, Metalli pesanti nei mitili (Mytilus sp.) della laguna veneta, Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti, Rapporti e Studi 8, 141–152.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cowan, C.E., Jenne, E.A. and Crecelius, E.A.: 1985, Silver speciation in Seawater: The Importance of Sulfide and Organic Complexation, in: Marine and Estuarine Geochemistry, Lewis Publishers, Chelsea, MI, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Donazzolo, R., Orio, A.A. and Pavoni, B.: 1982, Radiometric dating and pollutants profiles in a sediment core from the lagoon of Venice, Oceanologica Acta 5, 101–106.

    Google Scholar 

  • Donazzolo, R., Orio, A.A., Pavoni, B. and Perin, G.: 1984, Heavy metals in sediments of the Venice Lagoon, Oceanologica Acta 7, 25–32.

    Google Scholar 

  • EEC (European Economic Community): Council Directive 79/923/EEC of 30 October 1979 on the Quality Required of Shellfish Waters, Official Publications of the European Communities, OJ L281, 10 November 1979, Luxembourg.

  • EPA (Environmental Protection Agency): 1988, Special Report on Ingested Inorganic Arsenic, Skin Cancer, Nutritional Essentiality, EPA/625/3-87/013, July 1988, USA.

  • Ficklin, W.H.: 1990, Extraction and speciation of arsenic in lacustrine sediment, Talanta 37, 831–834.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ghermandi, G., Campolieti, D., Cecchi, R., Costa, F., Zaggia, L. and Zonta, R.: 1993, Trace metals behaviour during salt and fresh water mixing in the Venetian Lagoon, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B75, 330–333.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gillies, D.: 1999, A Guide to EC Environmental Law, Earthscan Publications, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Giusti, L., Williamson, A.C. and Mistry, A.: 1999, Biologically available trace metals in Mytilus edulis from the coast of northeast England, Environment International 25, 969–981.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koide, M., Hodge, V.F., Yang, J.S., Stallard, M., Goldberg, E.D., Calhoun, J. and Bertine, K.K.: 1986, Some comparative marine chemistries of rhenium, gold, silver and molybdenum, Applied Geochemistry 1, 705–714.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lau, S., Mohamed, M., Tan Chi Yen, A. and Su'ut, S.: 1998, Accumulation of heavy metals in freshwater molluscs, The Science of the Total Environment 214, 113–121.

    Google Scholar 

  • Laxen, D.P.H. and Harrison, R.M., 1981. Cleaning methods for polyethylene containers prior to the determination of trace metals in fresh water samples, Analytical Chemistry 53, 345–350.

    Google Scholar 

  • Long, E.R., MacDonald, D.D., Smith, S.L. and Calder, F.D.: 1995, Incidence of adverse biological effects within ranges of chemical concentrations in marine and estuarine sediments, Environmental Management 19, 81–97.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lowe, D.M. and Fossato, V.U.: 2000, The influence of environmental contaminants on lysosomal activity in the digestive cells of mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) from the Venice Lagoon, Aquatic Toxicology 48, 75–85.

    Google Scholar 

  • Luoma, S.N., Ho, Y.B. and Bryan, G.W.: 1995, Fate, bioavailability and toxicity of silver in estuarine environments, Marine Pollution Bulletin 31, 44–54.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin, M., Stephenson, M.D., Smith, D.R., Gutierrez-Galindo, E.A. and Munoz, G.F.: 1988, Use of silver in mussels as a tracer of domestic wastewater discharge, Marine Pollution Bulletin 19, 512–520.

    Google Scholar 

  • Menegazzo Vitturi, L., Molinaroli, E., Pistolato, M. and Rampazzo, G.: 1989, Sediment properties and their influence on the geochemical composition in the Lagoon of Venice, Bollettino di Oceanologia Teorica ed Applicata 7, 191–205.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nasci, C., Da Ros, L., Campesan, G. and Fossato, V.U.: 1998, Assessment of the impact of chemical pollutants on mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis, from the Venice Lagoon, Italy, Marine Environmental Research 46, 279–282.

    Google Scholar 

  • NHMRC (National Health and Medical Research Council): 1987, National Food Standard A12: Metals and Contaminants in Food, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, Australia.

    Google Scholar 

  • NRA (National Rivers Authority): 1994, Implementation of the EC Shellfish Waters Directive. Report of the National Rivers Authority, March 1994, Water Quality Series 16, 1–72.

  • Orio, A.A. and Donazzolo, R.: 1987, Specie tossiche ed eutrofizzanti nella Laguna e nel Golfo di Venezia, Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti, Rapporti e Studi 11, 149–215.

    Google Scholar 

  • Perin, G.: 1975, L'inquinamento chimico della laguna di Venezia, in: Problemi dell'inquinamento lagunare, Consorzio Depurazione Acque della Zona Industriale di Porto Marghera, Venezia, pp. 47–89.

    Google Scholar 

  • Phillips, D.J.H.: 1977, The use of biological indicator organisms to monitor trace metal pollution in marine and estuarine environments - a review, Environmental Pollution 13, 281–317.

    Google Scholar 

  • Puente, X., Villares, R., Carral, E. and Carballeira, A.: 1996, Nacreous shell of Mytilus galloprovincialis as a biomonitor of heavy metal pollution in Galiza (NW Spain), The Science of the Total Environment 183, 205–211.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rainbow, P.S.: 1995, Biomonitoring of heavy metal availability in the marine environment, Marine Pollution Bulletin 31, 183–192.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rickwood, P.C., Albani, A.D., Favero, V.M. and Sarandrei Barbero, R.: 1992, The Geochemistry of Unconsolidated Sediments from the Gulf of Venice, Italy, Technical Contribution No. 3, Centre for Marine Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rule, J.H.: 1986, Assessment of trace element geochemistry of Hampton Roads harbour and lower Chesapeake Bay area sediments, Environmental Geology and Water Science 8, 209–219.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sturesson, U.: 1976, Lead enrichment in shells of Mytilus edulis, Ambio 5, 253–256.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tosi, R.: 1970, Ricerche sul regime delle correnti di marea nei canali-porto della Laguna di Venezia, Atti e Memorie dell'Accademia Patavina di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti 82, 383–407.

    Google Scholar 

  • US FDA (United States Federal Drug Administration): 1993, Guidance Document for Arsenic in Shellfish, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Washington, DC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vazzoler, S., Costa, F. and Bernardi, S.: 1987, Laguna di Venezia: trasferimento di acqua dolce e inquinanti, Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti, Rapporti e Studi 11, 81–124.

    Google Scholar 

  • Voutsinou-Taliadouri, F., Varnavas, S.P., Nakopoulou, C. and Moriki, A.: 1997, Dissolved trace elements in South Aegean seawater, Marine Pollution Bulletin 34, 840–843.

    Google Scholar 

  • Watson, D., Foster, P. and Walker, G.: 1995, Barnacle shells as biomonitoring material, Marine Pollution Bulletin 31, 111–115.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zaggia, L., Zonta, R., Miserocchi, S. and Argese, E.: 1993, Controllo diffrattometrico e microchimico delle estrazioni dei metalli pesanti di origine antropica dai sedimenti, Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti, Rapporti e Studi 12, 425–444.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zatta, P., Gobbo, S., Rocco, P., Perazzolo, M. and Favarato, M.: 1992, Evaluation of heavy metal pollution in the Venetian lagoon by using Mytilus galloprovincialis as biological indicator, The Science of the Total Environment 119, 29–41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, H. and Davison, W.: 1995, Performance characteristics of the technique of diffusion gradients in thin-films (DGT) for the measurement of trace metals in aqueous solution, Analytical Chemistry 67, 3391–3400.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Sciences, University of the West of England, Bristol, BS16 1QY, England

    Lorenzino Giusti & Hao Zhang

Authors
  1. Lorenzino Giusti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Hao Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lorenzino Giusti.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Giusti, L., Zhang, H. Heavy Metals and Arsenic in Sediments, Mussels and Marine Water from Murano (Venice, Italy). Environmental Geochemistry and Health 24, 47–65 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1013945117549

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1013945117549

Search

Navigation