Divalent metal accumulation in freshwater bivalves: an inverse relationship with metal phosphate solubility

Abstract

Whole soft tissue concentrations of Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd and U were measured in two species of freshwater (unionid) bivalves ( Hyridella depressa and Velesunio ambiguus) from a minimally polluted site in the Hawkesbury-Nepean River, south-eastern Australia. Although the mean concentrations of metals in the tissue were similar for each bivalve species, their patterns of accumulation were dissimilar. For each metal, positive linear relationships between tissue concentration and shell length ( r 2=0.37–0.77; P≤0.001) and tissue dry weight ( r 2=0.29–0.51; P≤0.01) were found in H. depressa, but not in V. ambiguus. However, for both species, positive linear relationships were found between the tissue concentration of each divalent metal and Ca tissue concentration ( r 2=0.59–0.97; P≤0.001). For both bivalve species, the normalised rates of accumulation of the metals relative to increasing Ca concentration and/or size, were U≈Cd≥Pb≥Mn>Co≥Zn>Cu>Ni. The differential rates of accumulation of divalent metals are interpreted as being predominantly governed by their varying loss rates, which are controlled by the differing solubilities (log K sp values) of the metals in the phosphatic extracellular granules, the demonstrated major sites of metal deposition in the tissue of H. depressa and V. ambiguus. The rates of accumulation of Mn, Co, Zn, Cu and Ni were linearly and inversely related ( r 2=0.91–0.97; P≤0.001) to their solubilities as hydrogen phosphates, a finding consistent with the bioaccumulation model previously developed for the alkaline-earth metals. However, for U, Cd and Pb, this linear inverse relationship did not continue to hold, i.e. their rates of accumulation did not increase with decreasing solubility. However, these results are still consistent with the model if U, Cd and Pb are so insoluble in the granules of H. depressa and V. ambiguus over their lifetime (up to approx. 50 years) that there is effectively no loss of these metals, and hence, no differential between their rates of accumulation. The present results reaffirm the use of Ca tissue concentration to predict the tissue concentrations of other divalent metals by explaining up to 94 and 97% of the variability between individual bivalves of H. depressa and V. ambiguus, respectively. The use of Ca tissue concentration to effectively minimise the inherent variability between individuals in their metal tissue improves the ability of an investigator to discern smaller spatial and/or temporal differences in the metal tissue concentrations of these bivalves, and thus to detect metal pollution.