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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Bioaccumulation of metals by blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) deployed in New Bedford Harbor, Massachusetts

Conference ·
OSTI ID:225202
; ;  [1]
  1. Environmental Protection Agency, Narragansett, RI (United States). Environmental Research Lab.

As part of a marine Superfund site remedial monitoring program, blue mussels, Mytilus edulis, were deployed for 28 day intervals to monitor the levels of bioavailable copper, cadmium, lead, nickel and zinc in New Bedford Harbor, Massachusetts. Dissolved and particulate seawater samples were collected periodically during twelve separate deployments and analyzed for these metals also. Bioconcentration factors, the concentration in mussel tissue normalized to dissolved, particulate and total seawater concentrations, were calculated. Previous studies conducted at this site demonstrated that these six metals bioconcentrate in blue mussels and that bioaccumulation patterns vary for each metal. The sources of this variability are discussed with respect to the partitioning of each metal in seawater.

OSTI ID:
225202
Report Number(s):
CONF-9511137--; ISBN 1-880611-03-1
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English