Bioindicators Of Heavy Metal Pollution Research Articles

Benthic foraminifera as bioindicators of heavy metal pollution in Lake Burullus, Egypt

A study of benthic foraminiferal assemblages is carried out on 30 sediment samples collected from Lake Burullus to assess the response of the benthic foraminifera to the polluted sediments. The lake has been contaminated by industrial waste, mainly trace elements, as well as by agricultural effluent. Benthic foraminifera are the most common microorganism found in the surface sediments in the shallow and marginal marine environments. They are very sensitive to slight environmental changes and can reflect the health of the ecosystem they inhabit. Many studies assume or conclude that foraminiferal assemblages and the frequency of deformed tests are proxy indicators of pollution. X-ray microanalysis reveals that deformed specimens contain higher levels of heavy metals (Mn, Cu, and Hg) than non-deformed ones. This strongly suggests that heavy metals are responsible for the abnormalities in foraminiferal tests. Sediment samples were analyzed for the concentrations of Mn, Cu, Fe, Zn, V, Sr, Hg, Ni, Pb, Co, and Cr. Results show that the collected samples contain different concentration of the tested heavy metals.

Pike (Esox lucius) Bio-indicator of Heavy Metal Pollution in Anzali Wetland

The economical and industrial aspects of aquatic organisms like fish make the topic of toxicants important. The present study was carried out to measure the accumulation of heavy metals (Pb, Sn and Zn) in the liver and muscle of pike (Esox lucius). Totally, 60 pikes have been collected from 6 stations in the Anzali wetland (the south coast of the Caspian Sea) included Pirbazar, Anzali, Abkenar, Sangachin, Beshman, and Khazarvila. Tissue samples were prepared according to MOOPAM method. Zn concentration was determined using a atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Pb and Sn were also measured by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The highest concentrations of heavy metals were measured in the muscle and liver of pikes collected from Anzali and Pirbazar stations (located in the northeast of the wetland) due to the large amount of heavy metals release into these stations from adjacent shipbuilding factories and oil jetty. Comparison of the levels of three metals in fish tissues with international standards showed that Pb concentration was significantly higher in Anzali and Pirbazar fish than the permissible limit determined by WHO.

Marine Invertebrates as Bioindicators of Heavy Metal Pollution

Atmosphere, earth and water compose the environment. The presence of heavy metals in the environment has grown because of their large employment in some industrial and agricultural activities. Although these metals are terrestrial products, they flow into the sea through effluents and sewage or are directly discharged from industries placed on the seawater front. It should be considered that metals concentrations vary widely according to different seawater latitudes and depths and can be strongly influenced by fresh water discharges from heavily polluted rivers. In this review recent studies on heavy metal pollution in marine ecosystems and their organisms will be presented. Metal speciation, bioaccumulation in biota, as well as abiotic and biotic factors affecting their bioavailability will be reviewed. Moreover, the use of bioindicator organisms for the biomonitoring of heavy metal toxicity and their ecological effects will be defined. Many marine invertebrate species fulfill the following criteria: Sensitivity to a wide range of chemicals (especially to heavy metals), cost-effectiveness for repeatable tests, readily interpretable biological consequences of pollution. Among the most important marine invertebrates used as bioindicators, the sea urchin embryo is one of the most suitable, especially to assess metal/heavy metal pollution.

Impact Of Heavy Metals On Morphological And Biochemical Parameters Of Shorea Robusta Plant

AbstractPant P.P., Tripathi A.K.: Impact of heavy metals on morphological and biochemical parameters of Shorea robusta plant. Ekológia (Bratislava), Vol. 33, No. 2, p. 116-126, 2014.A study was conducted to determine the impact of heavy metals (cadmium [Cd], arsenic [As] and lead [Pb]) on the morphological, and biochemical parameters of Shorea robusta and to investigate the uptake capacity of this plant for individual heavy metal. The study showed that all three heavy metals had significant adverse impact on most of the plant parameters of S. robusta, at all the given concentrations of 1, 5 and 10 mg/l. Maximum reduction in morphological parameters is observed in leaf area (92.67%) followed by shoot length (54%) and, root length (28.78%). Maximum reduction in biochemical parameters is observed in amino acid (75.13%) followed by chlorophyll (68.33%) and, crude protein (35.68%), whereas polyphenol and ascorbic acid showed maximum enhancement of 77.1 and 139.8%, respectively. The accumulation of heavy metals was found to be higher in the root than shoot of S. robusta with maximum accumulation being 0.053 mg/g in root for Cd, 0.17 mg/g of As in leaf and, 0.201mg/g of Pb in soil. Concentration- dependent changes were observed in most of the morphological and biochemical parameters, which may thus serve to determine suitable bio-indicators of heavy metal pollution.

Honeybees and honey as monitors for heavy metal contamination near thermal power plants in Mugla, Turkey

In the present work, 6 honeydew samples of known geographical and botanical origins and 11 honeybee samples were analyzed to detect possible contamination by the thermoelectric power plants in Mugla, Turkey. The contents of trace elements were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry after application of microwave digestion. The samples from the thermal power plants, which were 10-22 km away from the hives, that did not cause pollution in honeydew honeys were also analyzed. The levels of copper, cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), zinc, manganese, iron, chromium, nickel, and aluminum were similar to the values found in other recent studies in literature. However, it was found that the contamination levels of the toxic elements such as Pb and Cd in honeybee samples measured relatively higher than that of honey samples. The study concludes that honeybees may be better bioindicators of heavy metal pollution than honey.

Study on the heavy metal bioconcentrations of the Shadegan international wetland mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis, by inductively coupled plasma technique

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the levels of heavy metal bioconcentration of the mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) in Shadegan international wetland. Sampling including the water, waterbed sediment and mosquitofish was carried out from the selected sampling sites during October and November 2011, and analyzed by the ICP-OES. Results show that the water has poor qualitative condition, according to EPA and WHO water quality standards. The level of the water Cr in the selected sites in both months and the levels of Fe, Mn and Zn during October in the SW1 site were higher than the instrumental detection limits indicating that the water was contaminated with these metals in the mentioned sites and months. The levels of the waterbed sediment As, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn, and mosquitofish Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn, Co and Cd were much higher than the instrumental detection limits, indicating that the waterbed sediment and mosquitofish were contaminated with them during October and November in the selected sites. Statistical assessments reveal that there is a significant difference between the mentioned contaminated water, waterbed sediment and mosquitofish heavy metals (all P-values < 0.05). In overall, it is considered that the contaminated heavy metals can be accumulated in the waterbed sediment and bioconcentrated in the wildlife tissues, then finally can be entered in the marine food chains and biomagnified there after long periods. In conclusion, this paper confirmed that the G. affinis can be used as a bioindicator of heavy metal pollution in marine ecosystems such as wetlands.

Factors contributing to heavy metal accumulation in sediments and in the intertidal mussel Perna perna in the Gulf of Annaba (Algeria)

This paper presents the results of a seasonal survey of heavy metals accumulated in sediments and in the soft parts of the body of the mussel Perna perna at four stations in the Gulf of Annaba (Algeria). Pooled soft tissues from 10 mussels representing the entire range of sizes were digested in nitric acid. Statistical analysis reveals a significant seasonal effect on all the measured metals, the highest values being recorded in winter. With the exception of Cr, the levels for all metals were significantly higher in the east, at the outlet of the Seybouse River, than at all other monitoring stations. The study also shows that north-western waters are subject to a significantly lower degree of heavy metal pollution than elsewhere in the gulf. Levels were nevertheless within the limits of public health standards.The results confirm the usefulness of P. perna as a bioindicator for heavy metal pollution.

The trophic ecology of the red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) in Mediterranean aquatic ecosystems: a stable isotope study

The trophic ecology of the red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) in Mediterranean aquatic ecosystems: a stable isotope study Thered swampcrayfish(Procambarusclarkii) isan invasive speciesin mostofitscurrent distributionrange.As an omnivorous species that feeds on items of many trophic levels and is eaten by many others, it occupies a key trophic position within the invaded food webs. This trophic position, in combination with its active physiology, makes P. clarkii a suitable organism for ecotoxicological studies and, more specifically, a bioindicator of heavy metal pollution. These characteristics also make P. clarkii a likely vector of contaminants toward higher trophic levels. In this study, we (i) describe aquatic food webs in three contrasting Mediterranean wetlands in the lower Guadalquivir River Basin, southwestern Spain, each populated by invasive P. clarkii but having a different heavy metal concentration, (ii) assess the trophic role of crayfish and temporal trends in its diet using stable isotope analysis (δ 13 Ca ndδ 15 N), and (iii) assess the relationship of crayfish isotopic signatures to the content of heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, As) bioaccumulated in crayfish body tissues. We detected significant between-site differences in carbon and nitrogen isotopic signatures but found significant between-date differences only for nitrogen signatures. Between- site changes in carbon and nitrogen isotopes were due primarily to variations in the relative contribution of autochthonous vs. allochthonous primary producers and shifts in crayfish abundance through time, respectively. Isotopic food web models were used to distinguish between systems driven by a detritus-based energy pathway and systems supported by detritus and primary producers. The trophic positions estimated for crayfish and other invertebrates at each site were low, suggesting the prevalence of omnivory and the occurrence of a trophic continuum rather than discrete levels. Isotopically, crayfish occupy a predator position in the observed food webs, which is consistent with the predominance of animal food sources in the species' diet. No significant changes were found between crayfish ontogenetic stages using isotopic ratios. The site with the highest concentration of heavy metals showed the highest δ 13 Ca ndδ 15 N values, and a significant correlation was found between five heavy metal elements (As, Cd, Zn. Cu, Pb) measured in crayfish and their nitrogen isotope signatures (r = 0.72, p <0.0001), thus reinforcing its contamination biomarker role.

Heavy metal concentrations inCipangopaludina chinensis(Reeve, 1863) and relationships with sediments in Saint-Augustin Lake, Québec City (Qc, Canada)

Saint-Augustin Lake is an urban lake in Quebec, Canada that has been subjected to long periods of direct human impact, mainly due to agricultural and urban activities, with great changes in trophic status and chemistry occurring within the last few decades. In 2009, during an examination of the lake bottom substrate, the presence of the invasive species Cipangopaludina chinensis (Reeve, 1863) was found on floor bottom sediments. The gastropods soft tissues were mineralized and analyzed by ICP-OES. The purpose of this study was to estimate concentrations of heavy metals in C. chinensis , describing the relations of these values with the sediment metal. In gastropod soft tissues the overall common trend in the heavy metal concentrations was revealed in the following order: Fe>Mn>Zn>Cu>As>Ni>Pb>Cd>Cr. Biota-sediment accumulation factors (BSAFs) have shown that C. chinensis cannot be used as a bioindicator of heavy metal pollution and exposure in the Canadian lakes where it is present. In fact, while the sediments of Saint-Augustin Lake are characterized by high metal concentrations, C. chinensis does not have high bioaccumulation factors (BSAFs tissues are considerable if compared with these sites.

Use of cestodes as indicator of heavy-metal pollution

Thirty snakehead fish, Channa micropeltes (Cuvier, 1831) were collected at Lake Kenyir, Malaysia. Muscle, liver, intestine and kidney tissues were removed from each fish and the intestine was opened to reveal cestodes. In order to assess the concentration of heavy metal in the environment, samples of water in the surface layer and sediment were also collected. Tissues were digested and the concentrations of manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) were analysed by using inductively-coupled plasma mass-spectrometry (ICP-MS) equipment. The results demonstrated that the cestode Senga parva (Fernando and Furtado, 1964) from fish hosts accumulated some heavy metals to a greater extent than the water and some fish tissues, but less than the sediment. In three (Pb, Zn and Mn) of the five elements measured, cestodes accumulated the highest metal concentrations, and in remaining two (Cu and Cd), the second highest metal accumulation was recorded in the cestodes when compared to host tissues. Therefore, the present study indicated that Senga parva accumulated metals and might have potential as a bioindicator of heavy-metal pollution.

Trace metal and biomarker levels in tissues ofArgopecten purpuratusin the north of Chile, and the potential use of this species as a bioindicator of metallic stress

The capacity to bioaccumulate trace metals present in San Jorge Bay, Antofagasta, Chile, was determined in northern scallop, Argopecten purpuratus, to examine the value of this important commercially species as a bioindicator of heavy metal pollution in areas where it is cultured. Scallops were sampled in summer 2009 in four sites: three natural populations (Coloso, Historic District and La Rinconada, marine reserve), and a commercial hatchery (Colorado). The concentrations of three heavy metals (copper, cadmium and lead) were then determined through stripping chronopotentiometric methods, and the levels of four biomarkers: three genes implicated in the stress and oxidative metabolism, i.e., glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione s-transferase (GST) and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), and a protein marker in the digestive gland and gill, a metallothionein (MT). The Historic District, located in the downtown area of the city, showed the highest metal concentration of all the sampled sites, as well as the highest levels of the four biomarkers. This can be largely attributed to the nearby international port area of the town and high sea traffic flow, exacerbated by the prevailing winds.

Bioaccumulative and conchological assessment of heavy metal transfer in a soil-plant-snail food chain

BackgroundCopper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) can pose serious threats to environmental health because they tend to bioaccumulate in terrestrial ecosystems. We investigated under field conditions the transfer of these heavy metals in a soil-plant-snail food chain in Banat area, Romania. The main goal of this paper was to assess the Roman snail (Helix pomatia) usefulness in environmental monitoring as bioindicator of heavy metal accumulation. Eight sampling sites, selected by different history of heavy metal (HM) exposure, were chosen to be sampled for soil, nettle leaves, and newly matured snails. This study also aimed to identify the putative effects of HM accumulation in the environment on phenotypic variability in selected shell features, which included shell height (SH), relative shell height (RSH), and whorl number (WN).ResultsSignificantly higher amounts of HMs were accumulated in snail hepatopancreas and not in foot. Cu, Zn, and Cd have biomagnified in the snail body, particularly in the hepatopancreas. In contrast, Pb decreased when going up into the food chain. Zn, Cd, and Pb correlated highly with each other at all levels of the investigated food chain. Zn and Pb exhibited an effective soil–plant transfer, whereas in the snail body only foot Cu concentration was correlated with that in soil. There were significant differences among sampling sites for WN, SH, and RSH when compared with reference snails. WN was strongly correlated with Cd and Pb concentrations in nettle leaves but not with Cu and Zn. SH was independent of HM concentrations in soil, snail hepatopancreas, and foot. However, SH correlated negatively with nettle leaves concentrations for each HM except Cu. In contrast, RSH correlated significantly only with Pb concentration in hepatopancreas.ConclusionsThe snail hepatopancreas accumulates high amounts of HMs, and therefore, this organ can function as a reliable biomarker for tracking HM bioavailability in soil. Long-term exposure to HMs via contaminated food might influence the variability of shell traits in snail populations. Therefore, our results highlight the Roman snail (Helix pomatia) potential to be used in environmental monitoring studies as bioindicator of HM pollution.

Assessment of Cadmium and Plumbum content accumulated in soil and some earthworm species (genus Pheretima) in Hoa Khanh industrial area, Da Nang city

Earthworms are useful and convenient indicators of the ecological health of soil. They are common and easy to sample and identify. They can absorb heavy metals with the large amout into the body without toxicity for body. Therefore they can be used as bioaccumulaters to assess heavy metal pollution in soil of a certain area. Hoa Khanh industrial area is one of the important industrial zones of Da Nang city, where located many factories: steel, mechanical, assembling, garments, electronics, product packaging, agriculture, forestry and seafood processing. Thus, the existence of heavy metal in industrial waste water is inevitable and cause the increase in content of some heavy metals in soil. In this study, we present results of the study on the content of Cd and Pb accumulation in soil and earthworms to help building the scientific basis for using earthworms as a bioindicator of heavy metal pollution (Cd and Pb) in soil. Heavy metals (Pb and Cd) accumulated by earthworm species examined in samples collected between November, 2009 and March, 2010. The means value of heavy metals in soil were 7.05 ± 4.69 mg/kg Cd and 36.05 ± 14.06 mg/kg Pb and these is earthworms were 1.23 ± 0.007 mg/kg Cd and 14.7 ± 2.97 mg/kg Pb (dry weight).

DIVERSITY OF ACARI AND COLLEMBOLA ALONG A POLLUTION GRADIENT IN SOILS OF A PRE-PYRENEAN FOREST ECOSYSTEM

Mites and springtails are important members of soil mesofauna and have been proven to be good bioindicators of airborne pollutants. We studied the surrounding area of a steel mill located in a mountain valley of North Spain. Previous studies had documented the existence of a pollution gradient in this area due to the emissions of the factory, thus providing an interesting site to investigate the potential effects of pollutants (heavy metals and nitrogen) on soil biodiversity. The density of Acari and Collembola significantly decreased with the increase in concentration of Cr, Mn, Zn, Cd and Pb. Mites appeared to be more sensitive to heavy metal pollution than springtails. Likewise, the density of these microarthropoda was lower in those soils exhibiting higher nitrogen content. The species composition of the community of Acari and Collembola changed according to heavy metal pollution. Significant differences in abundance, species richness and diversity were observed between the communities of the sampling sites. Some species were exclusive of the less polluted sites, while other appeared in the most contaminated ones. This different response of soil mesofauna to pollutants suggests that some mite or springtail species could be used as bioindicators of heavy metal pollution.

Trees as bioindicator of heavy metal pollution in three European cities

Concentrations of four heavy metals were determined in tree leaves and bark collected from polluted and non-polluted areas of three European cities (Salzburg, Belgrade and Thessaloniki) for a comparative study. Platanus orientalis L. and Pinus nigra Arn., widespread in urban northern and southern Europe, were tested for their suitability for air quality biomonitoring. Leaves and barks were collected uniformly of an initial quantity of about 30 g of each sample. Analysis was accomplished by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry after total digestion. Site-dependent variations were found with the highest concentration level measured in Belgrade, followed by Thessaloniki and Salzburg. A higher accumulation of heavy metals was found in bark compared to leaves. Pine tree bark, accumulating higher concentrations of trace metals compared to plane tree bark, shows a higher efficiency as bioindicator for urban pollution. Both indicator species are suitable for comparative studies on bioindication of urban air pollution.

Potential of Aquatic Macrophytes as Bioindicators of Heavy Metal Pollution in Urban Stormwater Runoff

The concentrations of heavy metals in water, sediments, soil, roots, and shoots of five aquatic macrophytes species (Oenanthe sp., Juncus sp., Typha sp., Callitriche sp.1, and Callitriche sp.2) collected from a detention pond receiving stormwater runoff coming from a highway were measured to ascertain whether plants organs are characterized by differential accumulations and to evaluate the potential of the plant species as bioindicators of heavy metal pollution in urban stormwater runoff. Heavy metals considered for water and sediment analysis were Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, and As. Heavy metals considered for plant and soil analysis were Cd, Ni, and Zn. The metal concentrations in water, sediments, plants, and corresponding soil showed that the studied site is contaminated by heavy metals, probably due to the road traffic. Results also showed that plant roots had higher metal content than aboveground tissues. The floating plants displayed higher metal accumulation than the three other rooted plants. Heavy metal concentrations measured in the organs of the rooted plants increased when metal concentrations measured in the soil increased. The highest metal bioconcentration factors (BCF) were obtained for cadmium and nickel accumulation by Typha sp. (BCF = 1.3 and 0.8, respectively) and zinc accumulation by Juncus sp. (BCF = 4.8). Our results underline the potential use of such plant species for heavy metal biomonitoring in water, sediments, and soil.

First record of anisakid juveniles (Nematoda) in the European seabass Dicentrarchus labrax (family: Moronidae), and their role as bio-indicators of heavy metal pollution

This study assessed the anisakid nematode distribution pattern in the fish collected from coasts of Mediterranean Sea, Egypt, during the period September 2010-April 2011. Two hundred thirty out of 300 (76.7%) Dicentrarchus labrax (European seabass) marine fishes belonging to family Moronidae were dissected and found to be infected with larva three nematodes. The larvae had been studied by light and scanning electron microscopy. The present work represents the first record of the presence of the parasite in this fish in the Mediterranean Sea. The concentrations of some heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Fe, Cd, Cu, Mn, Ni) in parasites as well as in tissues of fish were measured. The presented results showed that the nematode parasites are able to accumulate heavy metals in their tissues and in some cases that they are able to accumulate large amounts of heavy metals in a higher amount than host tissues. This demonstrated their sustainability as bioindicators of environmental pollution by removing heavy metals and help in the survival of fish.

Assessment of Heavy Metal Pollution in Republic of Macedonia Using a Plant Assay

Different plant organs (leaves, flowers, stems, or roots) from four plant species-Urtica dioica L. (Urticaceae), Robinia pseudoacacia L. (Fabaceae), Taraxacum officinale (Asteraceae), and Matricaria recutita (Asteraceae)-were evaluated as possible bioindicators of heavy-metal pollution in Republic of Macedonia. Concentrations of Pb, Cu, Cd, Mn, Ni, and Zn were determined in unwashed plant parts collected from areas with different degrees of metal pollution by ICP-AES. All these elements were found to be at high levels in samples collected from an industrial area. Maximum Pb concentration was 174.52 ± 1.04 mg kg⁻¹ in R. pseudoacacia flowers sampled from the Veles area, where lead and zinc metallurgical activities were present. In all control samples, the Cd concentrations were found to be under the limit of detection (LOD <0.1 mg kg⁻¹) except for R. pseudoacacia flowers and T. officinale roots. The maximum Cd concentration was 7.97 ± 0.15 mg kg⁻¹ in R. pseudoacacia flowers from the Veles area. Nickel concentrations were in the range from 1.90 ± 0.04 to 5.74 ± 0.03 mg kg⁻¹. For U. dioica leaves and R. pseudoacacia flowers sampled near a lead-smelting plant, concentrations of 465.0 ± 0.55 and 403.56 ± 0.34 mg kg⁻¹ Zn were detected, respectively. In all control samples, results for Zn were low, ranging from 10.2 ± 0.05 to 38.70 ± 0.18 mg kg⁻¹. In this study, it was found that the flower of R. pseudoacacia was a better bioindicator of heavy-metal pollution than other plant parts. Summarizing the results, it can be concluded that T. officinale, U. dioica, and R. pseudoacacia were better metal accumulators and M. recutita was a metal avoider.

Use of the fish endoparasite Ligula intestinalis (L., 1758) in an intermediate cyprinid host ( Rastreneobola argentea ) for biomonitoring heavy metal contamination in Lake Victoria, Kenya

Use of some fish parasites as bioindicators of heavy metal pollution has been demonstrated as a promising approach because of their capacity to bioconcentrate such elements. This study evaluated the effects of a cestode parasite, Ligula intestinalis, on the accumulation of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr) and copper (Cu) in the cyprinid fish, Rastreneobola argentea, in Lake Victoria, Kenya. This L. intestinalis/R. argentea model also was assessed as a bioindicator system for heavy metal contamination in the lake. Samples of 125 fish, 63 parasites, water and sediments were collected at four sites in the Kenya portion of the Lake Victoria basin characterized by variable heavy metal concentrations, for ICP-OES element analysis. The concentration of all four heavy metals in the fish and parasite samples exhibited site-specific variations relative to the metal concentrations in the water. The Pb, Cr and Cd concentrations in the L. intestinalis were higher than in the fish samples by a factor 11, 18 and 14 respectively, whereas the Cu concentration in L. intestinalis was increased by a factor of 2.5, relative to the Cu concentration in fish. The Pb, Cd and Cr concentrations in the parasite body increased, relative to their concentrations in fish samples, suggesting in the bioaccumulation of these metals by the parasite. The Cu concentration in the fish parasite decreased, relative to increased Cu levels in the fish. This finding was interpreted as being a competition for these elements between the parasite and its fish host. Moreover, the increased Cd and Cr levels in the fish were significantly influenced by the increased abundance of the parasites in the abdominal cavity of the fish samples. Based on the results of this study, the L. intestinalis/R. argentea system is proposed as a promising bioindicator model for evaluating environmental Pb, Cd and Cr concentrations where these species occur.

The burrowing crab Neohelice granulata as potential bioindicator of heavy metals in estuarine systems of the Atlantic coast of Argentina

This paper presents the concentrations of total copper, lead, cadmium, and zinc in hepatopancreas of the burrowing crab Neohelice granulata from the Samborombón Bay (La Plata River estuary) and the Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon, Argentina. The highest accumulation of lead was observed in Mar Chiquita samples, whereas copper, zinc, and cadmium concentrations were higher in those from Samborombón Bay. Marked temporal and geographic availability differences were observed, while sexual differences only were observed for zinc. Finally, the validity of using this species as bioindicator of heavy-metal pollution within the assessed estuarine ecosystems is discussed.