Abstract
Trace metal concentrations (Zn, Cd, Pb and Cu) were studied in two different bivalve species of the same age, the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis, Lmk., and the oyster Ostrea edulis, Linnaeus, which had been grown in the water of Lim Fjord, North West Yugoslavia (Peninsula Istria), i.e. under the same physicochemical conditions. The study offers a realistic view on the metal accumulation ability of oysters and mussels. The distribution of trace metals over the different organs and the edible parts of the mussels and oysters, collected in June 1979, was determined and is discussed in detail. The results are supported by the determination of the trace metal levels in the dissolved state and in the suspended material in the ambient sea water of the bivalves. Concentration factors for zinc, cadmium, lead and copper in the mussels of: 95 000, 9 100, 1 500 and 4 000; and in the oysters of: 95 500, 30 400, 3 400 and 64 500 were found, respectively. The values were evaluated comparing the metal concentration in the bivalve soft part and the dissolved trace metal levels in the adjacent water.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature cited
Allen, H. E., R. H. Hall and T. D. Brisbin: Metal speciation, effects on aquatic toxicity. Environ. Sci. Technol. 14, 441–442 (1980)
Brooks, R. R. and M. G. Rumsky: The biogeochemistry of trace element uptake by some New Zealand bivalves. Limnol. Oceanogr. 10, 521–527 (1965).
Branica, M.: Distribution of ionic Cu, Pb, Cd and Zn in the Adriatic Sea. Thalassia jugosl. 14, 151–155 (1978)
Bruland, K. W., G. A. Knauer and J. H. Martin: Zinc in northeast Pacific water. Nature, Lond. 271, 741–743 (1978)
Bubié, S., L. Sipos and M. Branica: Cruises of the research vessel “Vila Velebita” in the Kvarner region of the Adriatic Sea. V. Electroanalytical determination of ionic zinc, cadmium, lead and copper in sea water. Thalassia jugosl. 15, 89–111 (1979)
Coombs, T. L.: The distribution of zinc in the oyster Ostrea edulis and its relation to an enzymic activity and to other metals. Mar. Biol. 12, 170–178 (1972)
Coombs, T. L.: Uptake and storage mechanisms of heavy metals in marine organisms. Proc. anal. Div. Chem. Soc. 14, 218–221 (1977)
Coombs, T. L. and S. G. George: Mechanisms of immobilization and detoxification of metals in marine organisms. In: Physiology and behaviour of marine organisms, pp 179–197. Ed. by D. S. McLusky and A. J. Berry. Proc. 12th Eur. Symp. Mar. Biol., Stirling, Scotland, Sept. 1977
Danielsson, L. G.: Cadmium, cobalt, copper, iron, lead, nickel and zinc in Indian Ocean water. Mar. Chem. 8, 199–215 (1980)
Duinker, J. C.: Dissolved and particulate trace metals in the Rhine estuary and the Southern Bight. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 8, 65–71 (1977)
Duinker, J. C. and C. J. M. Kramer: An experimental study on the speciation of dissolved zinc, cadmium, lead and copper in river Rhine and North Sea water by differential pulsed anodic stripping voltammetry. Mar. Chem. 5, 207–228 (1977)
Duinker, J. C. and R. F. Nolting: Mixing, removal and mobilization of trace metals in the Rhine estuary. Neth. J. Sea Res. 12, 205–223 (1978)
Fowler, S. W. and G. Benayoun: Experimental studies on cadmium flux through marine biota. In: Comparative studies of food and environmental contamination, pp 159–178. Proc. Symp. Otaniemi, 27–31 August 1973, IAEA-SM-175/10, 1974
Fretter, V.: Experiments with radioactive strontium (90Sr) on certain molluscs and polychaetes. J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 32, 367–384 (1953)
Fukai, R. and L. Huynh-Ngoc: Cu, Zn and Cd in coastal waters of the N. W. Mediterranean. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 7, 9–13 (1976)
George, S. G.: Correlation of metal accumulation in mussels with the mechanisms of uptake, metabolism and detoxification: a review. Thalassia jugosl. 16, 347–365 (1980)
George, S. G. and T. L. Coombs: The effects of chelating agents on the uptake and accumulation of cadmium by Mytilus edulis. Mar. Biol. 39, 261–268 (1977)
George, S. G., E. Carpene and T. L. Coombs: The effect of salinity on the uptake of cadmium by the common mussel Mytilus edulis (L.). In: Physiology and behaviour of marine organisms, pp 189–193. Ed. by D. S. McLusky and A. J. Berry. Proc. 12th European Symp. Mar. Biol. Stirling, Scotland, 1977
Gerge, S. G. and J. M. Frazier: Some aspects of the relationship between tolerance to heavy metal pollution and metabolism of Cd, Cu and Zn in oysters. Thalassia jugosl. 18, 203–219 (1982)
George, S. G., B. J. S. Pirie, A. R. Cheyne, T. L. Coombs and P. T. Grant: Detoxication of metals by marine bivalves: an ultrastructural study of the compartmentation of copper and zinc in the oyster Ostrea edulis. Mar. Biol. 45, 147–156 (1978)
George, S. G. and B. J. S. Pirie. Metabolism of zinc in the mussel Mytilus edulis (L): a combined ultrastructural and biochemical study. J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 60, 575–590 (1980)
Goldberg, E. D.: The International Mussel Watch. Washington, D.C.: National Academy of Sciences 1980
Hrs-Brenko, M.: The reproductive cycle of the Mytilus galloprovincialis, Lmk. in the Northern Adriatic Sea and Mytilus edulis L. at Long Island Sound. Thalassia jugosl. 7, 533–542 (1971)
Hrs-Brenko, M. and Z. Filié: The growth of oyster (Ostrea edulis) and mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) in cultured beds in the Northern Adriatic Sea. Stud. Rev. GFCM 52, 35–45 (1973)
Huggett, R. J., F. A. Cross and M. E. Bender: Distribution of copper and zinc in oysters and sediments from three coastalplain estuaries. Proc. Symp. Mineral Cycling in South-eastern Ecosystems, Augusta, GA, 1974, US Energy Research and Development Administration, ERDA Symp. Series, Conf —740513 (1975)
Keckes, S., B. Ozretić and M. Krajnović: Loss of 65Zn in the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. Malacology 7, 1–6 (1968)
Keckes, S., B. Ozretić and M. Krajnović: Metabolism of 65Zn in mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis I, uptake of 65Zn. Rapp. Comm. int. Explor. Sci. Mer Médit. (Monaco) 19, 949–952 (1969)
Kerfoot, W. B. and S. A. Jacobs: Cadmium accrual in a combined waste water treatment-aquaculture system. Environ. Sci. Technol. 10, 662–667 (1967)
Knauer, G. A. and J. H. Martin: Seasonal Variations of Cd, Cu, Mg, Pb and Zn in water and phytoplankton in Monterey Bay, Calif. Limnol. Oceanogr. 18, 597–604 (1973)
Koide, M., D. S. Lee and E. D. Goldberg: Metal and tranuranic records in mussel shells, byssal threads and tissues. Estuar. coast. Shelf Sci. 15, 679–695 (1982)
Luoma, S. N. and G. W. Gryan: Factors controlling the availability of sediment-bound lead to the estuarine bivalve Scrobicularia Pland. J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 58, 793–802 (1978)
Magnusson, B. and S. Westerlund. The determination of Cd, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn in Baltic sea water. Mar. Chem. 8, 231–244 (1980)
Mantoura, R. F. C., A. Dixon and J. P. Riley: The speciation of trace metals with humic compounds in natural waters. Thalassia jugosl. 14, 127–145 (1978)
Mart, L.: Ermittlung und Vergleich des Pegels toxischer Spurenmetalle in nordatlantischen und mediterranen Küstengewässern, Doctoral thesis, RWTH Aachen (1979)
Mart, L., H. W. Nürnberg, P. Valenta and M. Stoeppler: Determination of levels of toxic trace metals dissolved in sea water and inland waters by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry. Thalassia jugosl. 14, 171–188 (1978)
Mart, L., H. Rützel, P. Klhre, L. Sipos, U. Platzek, P. Valenta and H. W. Nürnberg: Comparative studies on the distribution of heavy metals in the oceans and coastal water. Sci. tot. Environm. 26, 1–17 (1982)
Martincić, D., H. W. Nürnberg, M. Stoeppler and M. Branica: Toxic metal levels in bivalves and their ambient water from the Lim Channel. Thalassia jugosl. 16, 297–315 (1980)
Nürnberg, H. W.: Voltammetric trace analysis in ecological chemistry of toxic metals. Pure Appl. Chem. 54, 853–878 (1982)
Nürnberg, H. W.: Investigations on heavy metal speciation in natural waters by voltammetric procedures. Fresenius Z. Anal. Chem. 316, 557–565 (1983)
Nürnberg, H. W., L. Mart, H. Rützel and L. Sipos: Investigations on the distribution of heavy metals in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Chem. Geol. 40, 97–116 (1983)
Pentreath, R. J.: The accumulation from water of 65Zn, 54Mn, 58Co and 59Fe by the mussel Mytilus edulis, J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 53, 127–143 (1973)
Pequignat, J. E.: A kinetic and autoradiographic study of the direct assimilation of amino acids and glucose by organs of the mussel Mytilus edulis. Mar. Biol. 19, 227–244 (1973)
Pequignat, J. E., S. W. Fowler and L. F. Small: Estimates of the zinc requirements of marine organisms. J. Fish. Res. Bd Can. 26, 145–150 (1969)
Raspor, B., H. W. Nürnberg, P. Valenta and M. Branica: The chelation of cadmium with NTA in sea water as a model for the typical behaviour of trace heavy metal chelates in natural waters. Sci. tot. Environm. 9, 87–109 (1978)
Raspor, B., H. W. Nürnberg, P. Valenta and M. Branica: The chelation of Pb by organic ligands in sea water. In: Lead in the marine environment, pp 181–195. Ed. by M. Branica and Z. Konrad. Oxford: Pergamon Press 1980
Raspor, B., H. W. Nürnberg, P. Valenta and M. Branica: Voltammetric studies on the stability of the Zn(II) chelates with NTA and EDTA and the kinetics of their formation in Lake Ontario water. Limnol. Oceanogr. 26, 54–66 (1981)
Romeril, M. G.: The uptake and distribution of 65Zn in Oysters. Mar. Biol. 9, 347–354 (1971)
Sakino, H., A. Hashimoto, Y. Uchimura, S. Tateishi and T. Akiyama: Note on heavy metal concentrations in the aquatic environment of the Kitakyushu district in Japan, 1976–77. Water Res. 14, 1233–1237 (1979)
Schulz-Baldes, M.: Lead uptake from sea water and food and lead loss in the common mussel Mytilus edulis. Mar. Biol. 25, 177–193 (1974)
Schulz-Baldes, M.: Lead transport in the common mussel Mytilus edulis. In: Physiology and behaviour of marine organisms, pp 211–218. Ed. by D. S. McClusky and A. J. Berry. Proc. 12th Eur. Symp. Mar. Biol. Stirling Scotland, Sept. 1977
Stumm, W. and H. Bilinski. Trace metals in natural waters. Difficulties of interpretation arising from ignorance on their speciation. In: Advances in water pollution research, pp 39–52. Ed. by S. H. Jenkins. Proc. 6th Int. Conf., Jerusalem, 1972
Yonge, C. M.: Oysters. London: Callins 1966
Wolfe, D. A.: Levels of stable Zn and 65Zn in Crassostrea virginica from North Carolina. J. fish. Res. Bd Can. 27, 47–57 (1970)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Communicated by O. Kinne, Hamburg
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Martincié, D., Nürnberg, H., Stoeppler, M. et al. Bioaccumulation of heavy metals by bivalves from Lim Fjord (North Adriatic Sea). Mar. Biol. 81, 177–188 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00393116
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00393116