Distribution of cadmium in the pearl oyster following exposure to cadmium in seawater
- Western Australian Marine Research Laboratories, North Beach (Australia)
Laboratory studies on the uptake of cadmium from seawater have shown that bivalve molluscs readily accumulated cadmium from this medium and that the relative concentrations of cadmium between viscera and muscle were always the same as those found in natural populations. These results suggested that in the natural environment seawater was a major source of cadmium for bivalve molluscs. Results of a recent study have indicated that seawater is not always the major contributor of cadmium to bivalve molluscs. These authors reported high levels of cadmium in the pearl oyster Pinctada albina albina, collected from Shark Bay in Western Australia, and noted that there was no correlation between cadmium concentrations in the oysters and cadmium concentrations in the surrounding seawater. Australia is one of several countries which have a maximum permissible level of cadmium in molluscs. The possibility that the pearl oyster, and perhaps other molluscs as well, may accumulate cadmium preferentially in different tissues depending upon the source of cadmium has important implications in the area of contaminants in marine foodstuffs. The present study reports the uptake and distribution of cadmium within P. albina albina when subjected to cadmium in seawater alone.
- OSTI ID:
- 6983098
- Journal Information:
- Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology; (USA), Journal Name: Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology; (USA) Vol. 43:2; ISSN 0007-4861; ISSN BECTA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
AUSTRALASIA
AUSTRALIA
CADMIUM COMPOUNDS
DISTRIBUTION
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INVERTEBRATES
MOLLUSCS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
OYSTERS
SEAWATER
TISSUE DISTRIBUTION
UPTAKE
WATER