Abstract
Bivalve mussels are being used in many studies, for biomonitoring purposes, in coastal regions, due to their capacity of accumulating pollutants. This paper presents the results obtained for uranium determinations in samples of mussels of the Perna perna species (Linnaeus, 1758), transplanted along the northern seashore of the State of São Paulo, Brazil. Mussels produced at a cultivation site in the Cocanha Beach, in Caraguatatuba (control site) were transplanted, in all seasons of the year, to four different sites: Engenho d‘Água Beach, in Ilhabela; Almirante Barroso Terminal (TEBAR), in São Sebastião; e Palmas Island and Itaipu, in the Santos Bay. For uranium determination, the method of epithermal neutron activation analysis (ENAA) was used and for analytical quality control the reference materials NIST SRM 1566b Oyster Tissue and NIST SRM 1575 Pine Needles were used. The results obtained in these materials were in good agreement with the certified values (percentages of error less than 2.2%) and presented good precision (relative standard deviations below 3.3%). The uranium concentrations in mussel samples varied from 40.8 to 101.1 μg kg–1 (dry weight). The comparison among the uranium concentrations obtained in the different sites of transplantat indicated that the region of Santos has the highest and the lowest concentration of U, depending on the period of exposure of the samples of mussels.
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