Sediment analysis does not provide a good measure of heavy metal bioavailability to Cerastoderma glaucum (Mollusca: Bivalvia) in confined coastal ecosystems
- Instituto de Ciencias Marinas de Andalucia, Puerto Real Cadiz (Spain)
- Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Puerto Real Cadiz (Spain)
Sediments are considered a sink for metals entering the marine environment, especially in coastal areas. Once in the sediment layer, metals are distributed amongst all different phases of the sediment, governed by physicochemical conditions. One fraction is immobilized due to its incorporation into weakly reactive phases of the sediment; Another fraction may remain weakly bound to organic or mineral phases as sorbed, precipitated, or coprecipitated and complexed forms and can be assimilated by detritivorous and suspension-feeding benthic organisms. Many selective procedures have been suggested for metal extraction from sediments in order to estimate concentrations of fractions which are directly or indirectly available to the biota. The absence of a chemical treatment adequate for accurate quantification of metal bioavailability is well-known. Nevertheless, a good correlation between metal content in some organisms and in the sediment after a specific extraction treatment has sometimes been found so sediments are frequently used as indicators in pollution studies. In this paper, concentrations of heavy metals (Fe, Mn, Cu, Ph and Cd) in the cockle Cerastoderma glaucum, and in sediments at the same sampling locations are compared. C. glaucum is a suspension and deposit feeder, inhabiting a wide range of salinities. The study sampled 8 saltponds in the south of Cadiz Bay, located along a gradient of contamination produced by urban and industrial sewage effluents. The study sought to identify areas with different relative risk from metal pollution, in terms of biological effects and effects on water quality due to natural resuspension of sediments or to human relocation of sediments. C. glaucum was selected because of its wide distribution in the Bay, and also because it has no commercial value. This second fact means that its distribution and growth is not directly affected by man. 19 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab.
- OSTI ID:
- 6854945
- Journal Information:
- Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology; (United States), Vol. 52:6; ISSN 0007-4861
- 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.
COASTAL REGIONS
SEDIMENTS
METALS
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
CONTAMINATION
WATER POLLUTION
BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS
MOLLUSCS
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
ELEMENTS
INVERTEBRATES
POLLUTION
540220* - Environment
Terrestrial- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
540320 - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
560300 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology