Mirroring Land and Sea: The Geochemistry of Coastal Biomarkers

Abstract

This study examined the chemical pollution of macroalgae and mussels in the coastal region of the Black Sea, near the mouths of the Sochi and Mzymta rivers. A comprehensive analysis was conducted to establish a correlation between the chemical composition of these organisms and the components of the terrestrial ecosystem, with a specific emphasis on the behavior of rare earth elements (REEs). The study revealed that the fractionation pattern of REEs in the terrestrial ecosystem was duplicated in both algae and mussels. However, a less pronounced fractionation was observed in organisms that were not significantly impacted by contaminated river waters. The findings demonstrate that algae serve as a robust absorbent of chemical elements and are highly sensitive indicators of pollution, capable of detecting contamination at greater distances from the shore than mussels. Conversely, mussels, as more complex organisms, display a greater degree of selectivity in their accumulation of chemical elements.