Determining the bioavailability of contaminants and assessing the quality of sediments

Abstract

Background, Aims and Scope Our study determined the role of light, aeration, grain size, amount of sediments and of water, density of animals and presence of additional food on the movement of Ilyanassa obsoleta. Spiked relative to reference sediments were also tested for avoidance or preference by the mud snails. Our goal was to develop exposure conditions to be used in future assessment studies of the environmental quality of sediments inhabited by mud snails. The behavioural response of the snails towards different concentrations of contaminated Halifax Harbour sediments placed in one half of a tank relative to reference sediments in the other half is examined in Part 2 and a chemical link investigated.