Spatial and temporal variations of trace metal body burdens of live mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis and field validation of the Artificial Mussels in Australian inshore marine environment

Abstract

The body burdens of eight trace metals: Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn, Cr, Se, Hg, and As, were measured in live mussels (LMs) Mytilus galloprovincialis at 14 coastal sites in Port Phillip Bay, Victoria, Australia in winter and summer between 2017 and 2018. The spatial and temporal variations of body burdens were evaluated. The results revealed significantly higher body burdens of Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn, Cr, and Hg in summer at the sites where the city centre and industries are located. Elevated levels of most trace metals including 3 toxic, non-essential metals (Cd, Pb, and Hg) were detected in LMs from the site of Geelong. The body burdens of Zn, Cr, Se, and As appeared higher at the sites from the Bellarine Peninsula and the mouth of Port Phillip Bay.Besides, the “Artificial Mussels” (AMs) were deployed at the same sites in summer for 28 d and retrieved when the LMs were collected. The accumulations of the eight metals were compared between AMs and LMs summer results. It indicated significant correlations for Pb, Cu, and Cr, lower correlations in Zn and Hg, and irregular correlations for Se and As. The AM results of Cd were below the detection limit of the analytical method. This study demonstrates that AMs are excellent replacement of LMs for the biomonitoring of multiple kinds of trace metals.