Effect of starvation on trace metal levels in blue mussels (Mytilus edulis)
- Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans, Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada)
The use of bivalves as monitors of marine coastal contamination has become widespread. However, many investigations have shown that numerous factors affect contaminant concentrations, in particular trace metals, in mussels tissues. This is not surprising since some metals, e.g., copper and zinc, have well-established physiological roles, while others, such as cadmium, are toxic to higher animals and have no known physiological function. An organism can serve as a quantitative indicator of environmental contamination only if a tissue contaminant concentration or burden reflects the contamination of the animal's environment in a rational way. The authors have investigated the effect of starvation on a number of trace elements in blue mussels (mytilus edulis) to determine which elements were not eliminated as the animal starved (a burden control model) and which elements were excreted (a concentration control model) in response to decreasing tissue weight.
- OSTI ID:
- 5109766
- Journal Information:
- Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology; (United States), Vol. 46:3; ISSN 0007-4861
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
The relevance of age to selected heavy metals within soft tissues of the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis)
Seasonal variation in soft tissue weights and trace metal burdens in the bay mussel, Mytilus edulis
Related Subjects
MUSSELS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
WATER POLLUTION
BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS
CADMIUM COMPOUNDS
IRON COMPOUNDS
MANGANESE COMPOUNDS
NICKEL COMPOUNDS
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
INVERTEBRATES
MOLLUSCS
POLLUTION
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
560300* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology