Aluminium, citrate and shell-repair. Effects on the distribution of metals in the snail Helix pomatia L.

Abstract

1. 1. In shell-repairing snails ( Helix pomatia L.) injected with AlCl 3, Al was found to be significantly more concentrated in the mantle than in the digestive gland. This contrasts with both controls and Na-citrate injected animals, in which no significant differences were found, and also with the reversed relationship recorded in Al-citrate treated snails. 2. 2. The weights of the shell-repair membranes were significantly reduced in the AlCl 3-group only. 3. 3. Ca, Fe and Mg were also affected by the treatments employed, while no consistent effects on Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, V and Zn were recorded. 4. 4. It is concluded that citrate diminishes the deleterious effects of Al on the repair process and that a decreased weight of the repair membrane is associated with a high concentration of Al in the mantle.