Seasonal variation of trace metal concentrations in the digestive gland of the Mediterranean musselMytilus galloprovincialis:Comparison between a polluted and a non-polluted site

✍ Scribed by F. Regoli; E. Orlando

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1994
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 897 KB
• Volume: 27
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0090-4341
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00203885

✦ Synopsis

Seasonal changes in metal (Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, and Zn) concentrations were observed in the digestive gland of the Mediterranean mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis, from both a polluted and a non-polluted population. Digestive gland of mussels from the polluted site showed metal concentrations appreciably higher than in non-polluted organisms, especially for Pb (up to 160 Ixg/g d.w.), Mn (up to 300 Ixg/g d.w.), and Fe (up to 8,500 p,g/g d.w.), whereas the two populations showed maximum mean values, respectively, of 34 and 20 tzg/g d.w. for Cu and 170 and 120 Ixg/g d.w. for Zn.

Over 1 year (1991), differences between maximum and minimum values were moderate only in the unpolluted organisms. During gametogenesis, while the metal concentrations (expressed as Ixg/g dry weight) decreased in the digestive gland, the tissue burden (as p~g) in that organ remained nearly constant