Mussels as a bio-indicator of the environmental quality of the coastal water of the Boka Kotorska bay (Montenegro)

Abstract

The Mediterranean blue mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis was used as a pollution level indicator in the Boka Kotorska Bay of the southeastern Adriatic on the Montenegrin coast. The ever-increasing urbanization and industrialization, combined with a poor sewage system, an increase in both marine and inland traffic, as well as insufficient water circulation in the Bay itself have resulted in some level of pollution. Since heavy metals are extremely toxic and do not easily undergo biodecomposition, the results of this study supply valuable information concerning the metal pollution of the marine environment in Boka Kotorska Bay. The concentrations of the investigated metals and nonmetals accumulated in the mussels were determined during the fall of 2007 using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) for Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Cd, Hg, Pb, Sn and V, and Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (ED-XRF) to determine the concentrations of Fe, Zn, Si, P, S, Cl, K and Ca. ED-XRF was also used to determine the levels of non-metals and elements present in high concentrations. Comparing the data from this study in relation to data from other regions for Mytilus galloprovincialis, the mussel sampled from the Boka Kotorska Bay showed a moderate level of pollution.