MERCURY CONTENT IN BIVALVES AT THE ESTUARY AREA OF THE RED RIVER (VIETNAM)

Abstract

This article evaluates the content of mercury in various tissues (gills, mantle, hepatopancreas, and body foot) in four species of bivalves in the estuary area of the Red River in Vietnam. In this article, the authors determine the dependencies of the mercury content in the tissues of mollusks on the indicators of the length and mass of tissues and on the content of the pollutant in dissolved, suspended forms and in bottom sediments. The content of mercury in the tissues of mollusks varies from 30.5±1.2 to 415.8±6.3 ng/g. The highest content of the toxicant was observed in the hepatopancreas of Austriella corrugate, while the lowest was seen in the “foot” of Lutraria rhynchaena. Close, reliable, positive correlations between the concentration of mercury in the tissues of mollusks and the contents of its suspended form in the bottom water layer and in bottom sediments (r from 0.68 to 0.92, p <0.05) were observed. Bivalves can be used as one of the objects of biomonitoring when studying the distribution of mercury in the estuary area of the Red River.