Abstract
The use of selected organisms as biomonitors of trace metal bioavailabilities allows comparisons to be made over space and time. The concentrations of 11 trace metals (arsenic, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, lead, manganese, nickel, silver, zinc) were measured in the bodies of two barnacle species, Balanus amphitrite and Tetraclita squamosa, from up to 18 littoral sites from Hong Kong coastal waters in April 1998. These data provide evidence on the geographical variation in metal bioavailabilities at this time, and are compared selectively against historical data sets for 1986 and 1989. Geographical variation in bioavailabilities is clear for several metals, with hotspots for arsenic, copper, nickel and silver at Chai Wan Kok, and for lead in Junk Bay. Victoria Harbour sites head the rankings for silver and arsenic, and Tolo Harbour sites exhibit relatively elevated cobalt, manganese and zinc. Many bioavailabilities of trace metals to barnacles are lower in Hong Kong coastal waters in 1998 than in 1986. The two barnacle species are widespread and the extensive data set presented is a benchmark which can be compared to the results of similar biomonitoring programmes elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
