Mytilus galloprovincialis and Parapenaeus longirostris as bioindicators of heavy metal and organochlorine pollution

Abstract

The worth of the data obtained from Mytilus galloprovincialis and Parapenaeus longirostris for the purpose of assessing the extent to which the areas they come from are polluted by heavy metals (Fe, Zn, Cu, Pb, Mn, Ni, Cd, Cr, Co) and chlorinated hydrocarbons (PCBs, p,p'DDE, p,p' DDT, p,p'DDD, BHCs, heptachlor epoxide, dieldrin, endrin), was thoroughly investigated. The work embraced the accuracy of the determinations, the spot and area variability, the overall coefficient of variation, the effect of the season and the size, together with, in the case of P. longirostris, the differences observed in four sections of the Saronikos Gulf, in Greece, the degree of pollution, which was estimated independently by measuring the concentration in the water of nutrients (phosphate, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, silicate) and dissolved oxygen. The study proved the feasibility of employing the organisms as bioindicators of pollution. It also established that the individual variability of response, the season and the size do not cause as much assessment error as the commonly huge temporal fluctuations and the frequent inadequacies of the analytical procedures. A scheme is described for the collection of a truly representative sample.