Accumulation of organotin in Littorina littorea and Mya arenaria from Danish coastal waters

• Published in: Environmental pollution (1987) Vol. 84; no. 2; pp. 149 - 157
• Main Authors: Kure, L.K., Depledge, M.H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 1994; Elsevier
• Subjects: adverse effects; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; bioaccumulation; Biological and medical sciences; coasts; concentration; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Effects of pollution and side effects of pesticides on protozoa and invertebrates; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; indicator species; Littorina littorea; Marine; marine environment; monitoring; Mya arenaria; nontarget effects; nontarget organisms; Organotin; organotin compounds; sediments; TBT; water pollution; Denmark; Europe; North Sea; Mya arenaria; bioaccumulation; Littorina littorea; Organotin; TBT; Antifouling paint; Biological indicator; Gastropoda; Coastal zone; Marine environment; Bivalvia; Water pollution; Tin Organic compounds; Invertebrata; Mollusca; Biological accumulation
• ISSN: 0269-7491; 1873-6424
• DOI: 10.1016/0269-7491(94)90098-1

Organotin concentrations were determined in seawater, sediment and selected molluscs collected from the vicinity of the island of Fyn, Denmark. The extent of organotin contamination varied with the proximity of sampling sites to marinas and commercial shipping activities. Seasonal reductions in environmental TBT concentrations coincided with removal of pleasure craft from marinas during the winter season. At marina sites, concentration factors for TBT were 150–1500 for sediment and 500–10 000 for Littorina littorea (compared with seawater concentrations). Away from marina sites, Mya arenaria concentrated TBT by a factor of 57 000 to 220 000. The concentrations of TBT in M. arenaria from relatively clean sites were more than 10 times higher than found in L. littorea from heavily polluted marinas. M. arenaria were absent from marina sites and their immediate surroundings. Of the total organotin found in M. arenaria throughout the year, 80–90% was in the form of TBT. In contrast, in L. littorea ∼ 60–70% of the total organotin was present as TBT in spring, but this proportion fell to 20–40% during autumn and winter. M. arenaria shows potential as a bioindicator organism of TBT pollution as it appears to have a very limited ability to metabolise and eliminate TBT, yet can tolerate quite high levels of TBT exposure. L. littorea might be used as a bioindicator of short-term fluctuations in TBT concentrations at heavily polluted sites. It is concluded that continued presence of TBT in the Danish coastal ecosystem may still pose an ecotoxicological threat.