Comparison of the 2000 and 2005 spatial distributions of heavy metals in wild mussels from the North-Atlantic Spanish coast

• Published in: Ecotoxicology and environmental safety Vol. 74; no. 3; pp. 373 - 381
• Main Authors: Besada, Victoria, Andrade, José Manuel, Schultze, Fernando, González, Juan José
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: San Diego, CA Elsevier Inc 01.03.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; atomic absorption spectrometry; Biological and medical sciences; Cadmium; chemical analysis; cities; Coastal environments; Coastal pollution; coasts; Drying; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Environmental Monitoring; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Heavy metals; humans; industry; Invertebrates; Lead (metal); Marine; Mercury; Metals, Heavy - metabolism; Mollusca; Mussels; Mytilus - metabolism; Mytilus galloprovincialis; pollution; principal component analysis; Procrustes rotation; rivers; Sampling; Spain; Spatial distribution; Upwelling; Water Pollutants, Chemical - metabolism; Water Pollution, Chemical - statistics & numerical data; Wild mussels; North Atlantic; Europe; Atlantic Ocean; Spain; A, Atlantic; Coastal pollution; Heavy metals; Procrustes rotation; Wild mussels; Spain; Ecotoxicology; Toxicity; Heavy metal; Pollutant; Pollution; Spatial distribution; Bivalvia; Environment; Invertebrata; Mollusca
• ISSN: 0147-6513; 1090-2414
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2010.10.002

Spatial distributions of Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb and Zn in Mytilus galloprovincialis in 41 sampling sites in the North-Atlantic Spanish coast were monitored in 2000 and 2005 to assess the coastal environmental pollution. A pool of mussel soft tissue was prepared using 50 or more individuals representing the available size range. Samples were grounded, homogenised and quantified by atomic absorption spectrometry. Quality of the chemical analyses was assessed by participation in periodic interlaboratory exercises. Univariate and multivariate statistical studies, Principal Components Analysis and Procrustes rotation (a technique intended to compare several data spaces) were carried out. Some decreasing trends were observed for the concentrations throughout the 2000–2005 period, mainly for Hg and Pb. In general, the Northern area showed higher median concentrations (e.g., 3.79 and 4.28mg Pb/kg dry weight, and 0.160 and 0.191mg Hg/kg dry weight, for 2000 and 2005, respectively) than the Atlantic ones (e.g., 1.47 and 1.44mg Pb/kg dry weight, and 0.097 and 0.084mgHg/kg dry weight, for 2000 and 2005, respectively). Nevertheless, some Atlantic sampling points, located far from human inputs (cities, industries, rivers, etc.) exhibited high concentrations of Cd, which was attributed to the influence of the natural upwelling processes which occur annually in that geographical region.