Heavy metal concentrations in the soft tissues of swan mussel (Anodonta cygnea) and surficial sediments from Anzali wetland, Iran

Accumulation of metal(loid)s in the digestive gland of the mussel Unio crassus Philipsson, 1788: A reliable detection of historical freshwater contamination

The possible influence of historical contamination of water/sediments on the metal(loid) bioaccumulation in the digestive gland of mussel Unio crassus Philipsson, 1788, from two differently contaminated sites at the Mrežnica River was studied in three seasons. The first data for this species on total/cytosolic concentrations of 27 (non)essential elements were obtained by HR ICP-MS. Higher bioaccumulation was observed at the historically contaminated site, with several nonessential elements (Bi, Cs, Pb, Sb, Tl, U) found in 5-6 times higher concentrations compared to the reference site. Although both total and cytosolic levels revealed the influence of water/sediment contamination, the latter showed association between bioaccumulation and exposure for larger number of studied elements. At the reference site, several elements (Ba, Ca, Cd, Cr, Mn, Sr) were also found in 2-10 times higher concentrations compared to contaminated one, but it was attributed to background levels characteristic for karst rivers (for Ca and Cd), and to coaccumulation due to chemical similarity (for Ba, Cr, Mn, Sr). The seasonal variability was also observed, with generally highest metal(loid) concentrations in mussel digestive glands found in autumn which was associated to mussels reproductive period. Our results confirmed that sediment-dwelling mussels, specifically U. crassus, represent a good bioindicators for detection of historical pollution due to their direct contact/exposure to contaminants stored in sediments, with concurrent consideration of physiological/chemical factors. Historical contamination potentially can have serious impact on freshwater environment even long time after its cessation, and, therefore, a careful continuous monitoring is recommended.

Integrated biomarker responses and metal contamination survey in the wedge clam Donax trunculus from the Atlantic coast of Morocco

In Morocco, the marine environment has always been a major occupation for socioeconomic activities (industry, tourism, urbanization, etc.). Thus, this work displays a case study of Taghazout coast in the central Atlantic part of the country, which becomes the center of several development projects, such as the touristic resort Taghazout Bay. In the aim to assess the health status of this coastal ecosystem, a multi-indicator approach based on the response of biomarkers in the wedge clam Donax trunculus was adopted during two years (2016/2017). The undertaken investigations on the response of biomarkers (AChE, GST, MDA, and CAT) in the sentinel species D. trunculus showed an activation of defense mechanisms in this bivalve, which would imply exposure to chemical stress in this ecosystem. The monitoring of seasonal bioaccumulation of cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and copper (Cu) by D. trunculus indicates that the bivalves collected have been exposed to these metal sources in the study area. In addition, the correlation study has reported a significant effect of environmental parameters on biomarker response. Overall, the multi-indicator approach has clearly revealed the health status of Taghazout coast registered in a coastal urbanization.

A global synthesis of ecosystem services provided and disrupted by freshwater bivalve molluscs

Identification of ecosystem services, i.e. the contributions that ecosystems make to human well-being, has proven instrumental in galvanising public and political support for safeguarding biodiversity and its benefits to people. Here we synthesise the global evidence on ecosystem services provided and disrupted by freshwater bivalves, a heterogenous group of >1200 species, including some of the most threatened (in Unionida) and invasive (e.g. Dreissena polymorpha) taxa globally. Our systematic literature review resulted in a data set of 904 records from 69 countries relating to 24 classes of provisioning (N = 189), cultural (N = 491) and regulating (N = 224) services following the Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES). Prominent ecosystem services included (i) the provisioning of food, materials and medicinal products, (ii) knowledge acquisition (e.g. on water quality, past environments and historical societies), ornamental and other cultural contributions, and (iii) the filtration, sequestration, storage and/or transformation of biological and physico-chemical water properties. About 9% of records provided evidence for the disruption rather than provision of ecosystem services. Synergies and trade-offs of ecosystem services were observed. For instance, water filtration by freshwater bivalves can be beneficial for the cultural service 'biomonitoring', while negatively or positively affecting food consumption or human recreation. Our evidence base spanned a total of 91 genera and 191 species, dominated by Unionida (55% of records, 76% of species), Veneroida (21 and 9%, respectively; mainly Corbicula spp.) and Myoida (20 and 4%, respectively; mainly Dreissena spp.). About one third of records, predominantly from Europe and the Americas, related to species that were non-native to the country of study. The majority of records originated from Asia (35%), with available evidence for 23 CICES classes, as well as Europe (29%) and North America (23%), where research was largely focused on 'biomonitoring'. Whilst the earliest record (from 1949) originated from North America, since 2000, annual output of records has increased rapidly in Asia and Europe. Future research should focus on filling gaps in knowledge in lesser-studied regions, including Africa and South America, and should look to provide a quantitative valuation of the socio-economic costs and benefits of ecosystem services shaped by freshwater bivalves.

Importance of substratum quality for potential competitive niche overlap between native and invasive unionid mussels in Europe

Infaunal freshwater mussels are highly threatened and declining worldwide. One of the potential threats to mussels consists of biological invasions. We intended to investigate the habitat overlap and behavioural differences between native (Unio pictorum, Unio tumidus, Anodonta anatina, Anodonta cygnea) and invasive (Asian Sinanodonta woodiana) unionid bivalves to determine potential sources of competition. Furthermore, we investigated differences between S. woodiana from the established population in artificially heated waters and from the recent population in a natural thermal regime. We used pairwise choice tests on mud, medium, coarse and very coarse sand, mixture of medium and coarse sand, fine, medium and coarse gravel, and observed mussel locomotion and burrowing in preferred and non-preferred substrata. All species generally preferred fine-grained materials. The widest preference range was exhibited by S. woodiana (both populations), whereas A. cygnea was the most selective. The preferences of the cold-water population of S. woodiana were shifted towards coarser materials compared to conspecifics from the heated waters, and highly overlapped with the preferences of the native species. Anodonta cygnea most often moved horizontally and spent the shortest time deeply burrowed. Both Unio species were deeply burrowed for the largest amount of time and the horizontal locomotion of U. tumidus was the lowest among the test species. Sinanodonta woodiana, especially from the heated water population, exhibited relatively weak locomotion (compared to A. cygnea) and burrowing (compared to Unio spp. and A. anatina). Deep burrowing was more common on fine-grained materials. Our results suggest that the native mussels can be threatened by S. woodiana due to their overlapping habitat preferences, potentially hindering habitat separation. However, mobile native mussels may be capable of migrating and avoiding competition. Accumulating knowledge of the biology and ecology of freshwater mussels could contribute to the creation and improvement of conservation plans to protect these threatened animals.

Biochemical responses of oysters in evaluating environmental quality of tropical Indian estuarine systems

Impact of varying concentrations and counts of toxic metals and indigenous bacteria on antioxidative defense system in edible oyster, Saccostrea cucullata, collected from four tropical estuarine systems of Goa (west coast of India), are presented in this study. Relatively high abundance of bacteria was estimated from the oysters especially during monsoon season (June-September). Density of total and fecal coliforms were about 24 times higher in the organism than the surrounding water (average TC: 4360 and FC: 3475 MPN 100 ml^-1). Sedimentary Cd, Pb, and Hg concentrations varied from 0.12 to 0.48, 19.28-102.48, and 0.03-0.13 mg kg^-1 (dry wt.) while, bioaccumulation of Cd, Pb, and Hg in the oysters ranged from 5.17 to 10.6, 0.18-7.99, and 0.06-0.22 mg kg^-1 (dry wt.) respectively. Higher degree of pollution and moderate ecotoxicological risks with increasing toxicity (36-37%) was observed in two of the tropical estuaries. Biomarker response in the oysters was somewhat inconsistent with pollution load in the estuarine systems. Elevated environmental stress was observed during pre-monsoon (March-May) followed by the monsoon period. Sedimentary metals were identified as predominant inducers of antioxidative defence system in oysters from the study areas. This study suggests that, biomarker can be useful in assessing the combined effects of metal and bacterial contaminations on native oysters and in evaluating environmental quality in tropical estuarine systems.

A Commentary on the Use of Bivalve Mollusks in Monitoring Metal Pollution Levels

The objective of this commentary is to promote the use of bivalves as biomonitors, which is a part of the continual efforts of the International Mussel Watch. This commentary is an additional discussion on "Bivalve mollusks in metal pollution studies: From bioaccumulation to biomonitoring" by Zuykov et al., published in Chemosphere 93, 201-208. The present discussion can serve as a platform for further insights to provide new thoughts and novel ideas on how to make better use of bivalves in biomonitoring studies. The certainty of better and more extensive applications of mollusks in environmental monitoring in the future is almost confirmed but more studies are urgently needed. With all the reported studies using bivalves as biomonitors of heavy metal pollution, the effectiveness of using Mussel Watch is beyond any reasonable doubts. The challenge is the development of more accurate methodologies for of heavy metal data interpretation, and the precision of the biomonitoring studies using bivalves as biomonitors, whether in coastal or freshwater ecosystems. Lastly, inclusion of human health risk assessment of heavy metals in commercial bivalves would make the research papers of high public interest.

Modelling the habitat preferences of the swan mussel (Anodonta cygnea) using data-driven model

The Anzali wetland (located in northern Iran) and many parts of its catchment are considered important habitats for the swan mussel (Anodonta cygnea). The habitat of this native bioindicator mussel is being threatened in many locations of the catchment due to various anthropogenic activities. The present study aimed to apply a classification tree model (J48 algorithm) to predict the habitat preferences of A. cygnea in 12 sampling sites based on various water quality and physical-habitat variables. The species was present in 50% of sampling sites, while it was absent in the remaining of the sampling sites. In total, 144 samples of A. cygnea (72 presence and 72 absence instances) were monthly measured together with the abiotic variables during 1-year study period (2017-2018). For the CT model, two-thirds of datasets (96 instances) served as a training and the remainder was employed for the validation set (48 instances). Among 25 environmental variables introduced to the model (with pruning confidence factor = 0.10, threefold cross-validation and 5 times randomization effort), the validity of 6 variables was confirmed by the model in all three subsets. Water salinity, flow velocity, water depth and water turbidity were jointly predicted by the model in three subsets. The model predicted that the absence of A. cygnea might be associated with increasing flow velocity, total phosphate and water turbidity. In contrast, the presence of A. cygnea might be related to decreased water depth and increased calcium concentration. The model also confirmed that all predicted variables for the species might be completely dependent on the water salinity. According to the chi-square test (x² = 26.53, p < 0.05), the habitat condition of A. cygnea is influenced by significant variations in the spatio-temporal patterns.

Investigation of toxic elements in Carassius gibelio and Sinanodonta woodiana and its health risk to humans

Increasing toxic metal content in aquatic products has become a universal burden due to the risks to aquatic organisms and human health associated with the consumption of these products. In this study, toxic metal distribution and accumulation in the organs of fish and bivalve species of economic and culinary importance from the lower reaches of the Yangtze River are examined, and the corresponding health risks are also investigated. In general, the viscera and gill show higher concentration of metals than other tissues. The order of the accumulation sequence of metals in muscle tissue of fish and bivalve is Zn > Cu > Mn > Cr > As > Hg > Pb > Cd and Mn > Zn > Cu > As > Cr > Pb > Cd > Hg respectively. Maximum accumulation of Mn (507.50 μg g^-1) and Pb (0.51 μg g^-1) in the gill tissues indicates the major uptake of these metals from the water column. According to the Hazard Index (HI) calculations (based on USEPA), the analyzed metals will not cause any harmful health effects to individuals for both normal and habitual fish consumers, except for Hg and As in habitual consumers, if these species are consumed at a larger amount. Compared to the Chinese Food Health Criterion and other international standards (WHO/FAO), metal concentrations in the edible muscle tissues of the studied species are lesser than the acceptable levels and found to be fit for human consumption.

Study of speciation and spatial variation of pollutants in Anzali Wetland (Iran) using linear regression, Kriging and multivariate analysis

Multivariate statistical techniques and geostatistical methods are among the important tools used in surface water quality management. They are widely used in interpreting data, identifying the pollution sources, understanding the spatial variation of parameters, and determining the places of monitoring stations. Therefore, in this study, spatial variation of water quality and pollutants in the Anzali Wetland water (Iran) was evaluated using multivariate statistical and Kriging methods. The values of different water quality parameters measured in six stations in the wetland water were subjected to cluster analysis (CA) and principal component analysis (PCA). Cluster analysis reduced the number of stations from six to four. The results of PCA showed that industrial and agricultural pollution sources could be responsible for the Anzali Wetland water quality. Then, the spatial variation maps of the PCA scores were generated using Kriging geostatistical method in the geographical information system (GIS) to investigate the pollution sources affecting the wetland parts. These maps illustrated that a great part of the wetland body was under the effect of agricultural sources, while the industrial sources affected the outlet and central parts. Finally, a comparison between two models (multiple linear regression (MLR) and Kriging) was made to assess their ability in predicting water quality parameters in the study area. The results showed the improvement of prediction using MLR, which was by 25%-97%, compared with Kriging. The results of the present study can be effectively used in the planning and implementation of future monitoring networks in the Anzali Wetland and other similar aquatic systems.

Bisphenol A (BPA) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the surface sediment and bivalves from Hormozgan Province coastline in the Northern Persian Gulf: A focus on source apportionment

This study investigates Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and Bisphenol-A (BPA) pollution in coastal sediments and bivalves of Hormozgan Province coastline. The results indicated that the BPA concentration in some bivalves reached up to 340.16 ng g^-1. The mean BPA concentration in the sediment samples was also 787.01 ng g^-1. The ∑PAHs content in sediments ranged from 14.54 to 85.00 ng g^-1, while values for bivalves ranged from 5.37 to 16.40 ng g^-1. Individual PAH concentrations in sediments exceeded those in bivalves for which only LMW PAHs were detected. A combination of techniques including Self-Organizing Maps (SOM), Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF), and Cluster Analysis (CA) were applied and both petrogenic and pyrogenic sources were identified. The risk of PAHs in the sediments was relatively low according to the sediment quality guidelines. The health risk indices suggest that exposure to PAHs through bivalve consumption does not impose harmful health effects upon consumers.

Geospatial analysis and assessment of 226Ra, 235U, 232Th, 137Cs, and 40K at Anzali wetland, north of Iran

Achieving better monitoring and radiation risk assessment is among the main issues in environmental studies. In this regard, natural radioactivity measurements in sediments can provide useful information about the environmental transport mechanism and about the sources of radionuclides. Anzali wetland, as the study area of this research, is located on the southwestern shore of the Caspian Sea with rapidly changing ecosystems. Because of its strategic location, increasing pollution levels, decreasing water table, and increasing sediment discharge from rivers, Anzali wetland has a unique significance in terms of studying its radioactivity from sediment and soil samples. The average ²²⁶Ra, ²³⁵U, ²³²Th, ¹³⁷Cs, and ⁴⁰K values for 33 sediment and soil samples were 24.66, 3.72, 31.94, 11.66, and 506.38 Bq kg^-1, respectively. Variography analyses revealed a spatial structure with minimum/maximum variance equal to 3/8 from 135°/45° azimuth direction. In addition, the fractal geometry indicates values higher than 3.7, 24.5, 30, 25, and 475 Bq kg^-1 as anomalous values for ²³⁵U, ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, ¹³⁷Cs, and ⁴⁰K using Kriging estimated data with a search radius of 5000 m, respectively. Compared with the average values published by UNSCEAR (2008) for earth's crust average and compared with the values for the southern areas of Iran (Oman Sea), the estimated average and anomalous data for a pollutant at Anzali wetland do not exceed the reference data. The higher values in the samples of this study could be related to specific environmental problems such as industrial wastewater from about 30 polluted factories transported by 10 major rivers. Agricultural wastes, such as herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers from rice fields, and being a tourist attraction zone at sea beach are the other most possible pollution sources in the study area.

Cadmium bioaccumulation and elimination in tissues of the freshwater mussel Anodonta woodiana

Experiments were carried out to investigate the bioaccumulation and elimination of cadmium (Cd) in tissues (kidney, gills, digestive gland, mantle, visceral mass, foot, adductor muscle and hemolymph) from the freshwater mussel, Anodonta woodiana. The mussels were exposed to subchronic Cd at concentrations of 0.168 and 0.675 mg L^-1 for 28 d of bioaccumulation and 28 d of elimination. During the bioaccumulation phase, Cd bioaccumulations increased in all tissues. The highest bioaccumulation of Cd was found in the kidney. The second-highest and third-highest bioaccumulations of Cd were found in the digestive gland and gills, respectively. The Cd bioaccumulations in the tissues of A. woodiana increased with exposure time and concentration, except for hemolymph, which reached the highest value on d 14. The bioaccumulation factors (BCFs) increased with exposure time, but an inverse relationship was observed between BCFs and exposure concentration. During the elimination phase, the visceral mass showed the highest Cd elimination rate. In the kidney, digestive gland and gills, the elimination rates almost reached 40%, but their concentrations were still higher than in other tissues. Thus, we concluded that the kidney, gills and digestive gland of A. woodiana are target tissues for subchronic Cd toxicity.

Genotoxic, cytotoxic, and neurotoxic responses in Anodonta cygnea after complex metal mixture treatment

Environmental effects associated with the release of various metals even at maximum permissible concentrations (MPC) to the aquatic ecosystems are evident. In the present work, time-dependent increase in accumulated metals amount in gills of Anodonta cygnea after exposure to complex metal (Zn 0.1, Cu 0.01, Ni 0.01, Cr 0.01, Pb 0.005, and Cd 0.005 mg/L, MPC accepted for the inland waters in EU) mixture at various time points (1, 2, 4, 7, 14, and 28 days) was investigated. Statistically significant increase of Cu and Cd was determined in mussel's gills after 7-day exposure, in comparison to control group; moreover, significantly elevated concentration of Cu was measured and after 14-day treatment (in comparison to control and pre-exposure group). Concentrations of five (Cu, Ni, Cr, Pb, and Cd) out of 6 investigated metals were statistically increased in gills tissue after 28-day treatment. Moreover, complex metal mixture has demonstrated tissue- and time-dependent genotoxicity (∑Gentox) and cytotoxicity (∑Cytox) responses in mussels. After 4-day exposure, there were found the highest ∑Gentox levels in gills cells and haemocytes. Two-day treatment of mussels resulted in the highest and statistically significant induction of ∑Cytox level (in gills). Furthermore, after short-term (4 days) exposure, statistically significant inhibition of AChE activity in hemolymph of metal mixture-exposed mussels, in comparison to control and pre-exposure group, was found. Comparison of investigated responses in different tissue of A. cygnea discloses new information about metal mixture (at MPC) impacts at different treatment time. According to the obtained geno- and cytotoxicity data, it is suggested that gills are more sensitive tissue. Environmentally relevant trace metal concentrations when existing in mixture are able to cause adverse effects in A. cygnea; therefore, biological effects at different levels of organism are expected as a realistic scenario.

Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals and their Genotoxic Effect on Freshwater Mussel

Contamination of fresh water bodies like riverine system is utmost concerned environmental issue. This study was aimed to assess the concentration of heavy metals in River Kabul and their bioaccumulation by freshwater mussel. Comet assay was used to evaluate the genotoxic effect of heavy metals on hemocytes of freshwater mussel. The concentration of heavy metals in water was in the order of Zn > Pb > Ni > Cu > Mn > Fe > Cr > Cd, in sediments were Fe > Zn > Cr > Ni > Mn > Pb > Cu > Cd and in the soft tissues of freshwater mussel were in order of Fe > Zn > Mn > Pb > Cu > Cr > Ni > Cd. The hemocytes of mussels from polluted sites showed significantly higher (p < 0.05) DNA damage as compared to reference site. The study showed that pollutants from industries, municipal, domestic and agricultural sources cause heavy metals contamination in River Kabul.

Biomonitoring of Trace Metals in the Keban Dam Reservoir (Turkey) Using Mussels (Unio elongatulus eucirrus) and Crayfish (Astacus leptodactylus)

Freshwater mussels and crayfish are commonly used as biomonitors of trace metals. In the present study, the concentrations of ten metals were determined in mussels (Unio elongatulus eucirrus) and crayfish (Astacus leptodactylus) collected from the Keban Dam Reservoir in Turkey. The significant spatial differences in concentrations of studied metals except As in mussels were not found. However, Co, Cr, Cu, and Zn concentrations in mussels and As, Co, Cu, Fe, Pb, and Zn concentrations in crayfish showed significant seasonal differences. As, Cd, and Mn levels in mussels were about nine times higher than those in crayfish. The concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn, and inorganic As in crayfish and mussels were lower than maximum permissible levels. When compared with other biomonitoring studies using mussels and crayfish, high concentrations of As, Cd, Co, Cr, and Ni in mussels and Cr and Ni in crayfish were observed due to lithogenic sources and anthropogenic activities in the basin. Bioconcentration factor values of Fe, Mn, Cd, and Zn in mussels and Zn, Cu, Fe, and Co in crayfish were > 1000, which indicates that both U. e. eucirrus and A. leptodactylus have potential to bioaccumulate these metals. Therefore, attention should be paid to mussels and crayfish from ecological and human health perspective, because they are potential vectors of metals to higher trophic levels.

Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals in Water, Sediments, and Tissues and Their Histopathological Effects on Anodonta cygnea (Linea, 1876) in Kabul River, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

The present investigation aimed to assess the concentrations of selected heavy metals in water and sediments and their bioaccumulation in tissues of freshwater mussels and their histopathological effects on the digestive gland, gills, and gonads of Anodonta cygnea. Water, sediments, and freshwater mussel samples were collected at four sites, that is, reference and polluted sites, along the Kabul River, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The polluted sites were receiving effluents from the industrial, agricultural, municipal, and domestic sources. The order of metals in the water was Zn > Pb > Ni > Cu > Mn > Fe > Cr > Cd, in sediments the order was Fe > Zn > Cr > Ni > Mn > Pb > Cu > Cd, and in the soft tissues the order was Fe > Zn > Mn > Pb > Cu > Cr > Ni > Cd. Histopathological alterations observed in polluted sites of Kabul River were inflammation, hydropic vacuolation, and lipofuscin pigments (in digestive gland), gill lamellar fusion, dilated hemolymphatic sinus, clumping, and generation of cilia and hemocytic infiltration (in gills), and atresia, necrosis, granulocytoma, hemocytic infiltration, and lipofuscin pigments (in gonads). The histopathological alterations in the organs of Anodonta cygnea can be considered as reliable biomarkers in biomonitoring of heavy metal pollution in aquatic ecosystems.

Accumulation and risk assessment of heavy metals in sediments and zoobenthos (Bellamya aeruginosa and Corbicula fluminea) from Lake Taihu

Accumulation and risk assessment of metals in sediments and zoobenthos (Bellamya aeruginosa and Corbicula fluminea) from Lake Taihu were studied. Results showed that metal (Cr, Cd, Cu, Zn, Pb and Ni) concentrations in Lake Taihu varied greatly, and Cd in the Zhushan Bay showed higher bioavailability compared to the other metals studied. The spatial distribution of metals in B. aeruginosa and C. fluminea was similar to that in sediments. Zn and Cu exhibited the higher mean concentration in B. aeruginosa and C. fluminea, which was in good accordance with its higher content in surrounding sediment. Labile fractions (i.e., acid-soluble (F1), reducible (F2) and F1+F2) of Cu and Zn in sediments showed a significant positive correlation with them in B. aeruginosa (P<0.01); no correlation relationship was found for metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Zn, Pb and Ni) between in the tissue of C. fluminea and in sediments. The results of ecological risk assessment showed that Zhushan Bay was seriously contaminated by metal Cd, as it made the main contribution of all the metals. Total target hazard quotients indicated that adults and children both had potential health risk through consuming C. fluminea. Hazard index values suggested that adults and children might experience adverse health effects through consuming B. aeruginosa and C. fluminea.

Determination of heavy metal content and lipid profiles in mussel extracts from two sites on the moroccan atlantic coast and evaluation of their biological activities on MIN6 pancreatic cells

Mussels may concentrate pollutants, with possibly significant side effects on human health. Therefore, mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) from two sites of the Moroccan Atlantic coast (Jorf Lasfar [JL], an industrial site, and Oualidia [OL], a vegetable-growing area), were subjected to biochemical analyses to quantify the presence of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, and Pb) and to establish the lipid profile: fatty acid, cholesterol, oxysterol, phytosterol and phospholipid content. In addition, mussel lipid extracts known to accumulate numerous toxic components were tested on murine pancreatic β-cells (MIN6), and their biological activities were measured with various flow cytometric and biochemical methods to determine their impacts on cell death induction, organelle dysfunctions (mitochondria, lysosomes, and peroxisomes), oxidative stress and insulin secretion. The characteristics of JL and OL lipid extracts were compared with those of commercially available mussels from Spain (SP) used for human consumption. OL and JL contained heavy metals, high amounts of phospholipids, and high levels of oxysterols; the [(unsaturated fatty acids)/(saturated fatty acids)] ratio, which can be considered a sign of environmental stress leading to lipid peroxidation, was low. On MIN6 cells, JL and OL lipid extracts were able to trigger cell death. This event was associated with overproduction of H2 O2 , increased catalase activity, a decreased GSH level, lipid peroxidation and stimulation of insulin secretion. These effects were not observed with SP lipid extracts. These data suggest that some components from OL and JL lipid extracts might predispose to pancreatic dysfunctions. Epidemiological studies would be needed to assess the global risk on human health and the metabolic disease incidence in a context of regular seafood consumption from the OL and JL areas.

Bioaccumulation of selected metals in bivalves (Unionidae) and Phragmites australis inhabiting a municipal water reservoir

Urbanization can considerably affect water reservoirs by, inter alia, input, and accumulation of contaminants including metals. Located in the course of River Cybina, Maltański Reservoir (Western Poland) is an artificial shallow water body built for recreation and sport purposes which undergoes restoration treatment (drainage) every 4 years. In the present study, we demonstrate an accumulation of nine metals (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn) in water, sediment, three bivalve species (Anodonta anatina, Anodonta cygnea, Unio tumidus), and macrophyte Phragmites australis collected before complete drainage in November 2012. The mean concentrations of metals in the sediment, bivalves, and P. australis (roots and leaves) decreased in the following order: Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu > Cr > Ni > Pb > Co > Cd. A considerably higher bioconcentration of metals was observed in samples collected from the western and southern sites which undergo a higher degree of human impact. Sediments were found to be a better indicator of metal contamination than water samples. Interspecific differences in levels of metal accumulation were found between investigated unionids. U. tumidus accumulated higher levels of Cr, positively correlated with ambient concentrations, predisposing this species as a potential bioindicator of this metal in aquatic environments. On the other hand, species of Anodonta genus demonstrated higher accumulation of Cu and Cd. Positive correlations were found between Pb content in the sediments and tissues of all three bivalve species. In P. australis, metals were largely retained in roots except for Cd and Pb for which higher concentrations were found in leaves suggesting additional absorption of these metals from aerial sources. P. australis and bivalve from the Maltański Reservoir may be a potential source of toxic metals for animals feeding upon them and contribute to further contamination in the food chain.

Assessment of trace elements in the shell layers and soft tissues of the pearl oyster Pinctada radiata using multivariate analyses: a potential proxy for temporal and spatial variations of trace elements

Concentrations of trace elements (Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn) were determined in the soft tissues (adductor muscle and gills) of the pearl oyster Pinctada radiata and surficial sediments from two sampling sites located in the northern part of the Persian Gulf by Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (GFAAS). Moreover, the levels of Li, Mg, Al, Mn, Fe, Cu, Sr, Ba, Pb, and Zn were measured in two shell layers (prismatic and nacreous) using Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (LA-ICP-MS). There were significant differences between the sampling sites with regard to mean concentrations of Cu, Mn, and Al in the prismatic layers of the shells. But in terms of the soft tissues, only in the case of Ni accumulation in the muscle significant differences between the sites could be observed. No significant differences could be found between the sites from the elements concentrations in the sediments point of view. The levels of Cd, Cu, Ni, and Zn in the gills were markedly higher than those in the muscle. Concentrations of Mn, Mg, Li, and Cu in the prismatic layer were significantly higher than in the nacreous but the reverse case could be found for Sr. The patterns of metal occurrence in the selected tissues, shell layers, and sediments exhibited the following descending order: Zn, Ni > Cd, Cu > V, and Pb and Zn, Ni, Cd > Cu, V, and Pb for muscle and gills, respectively; Zn > Cu, Ni, Pb, Cd, and V for sediments; Mg > Sr, Mn, Li, Al, Fe, Ba, Cu, Pb, and Zn for the prismatic layer; and Sr, Mg > Mn, Al, Fe, Li, Ba, Cu, Pb, and Zn for the nacreous layer. In most cases, the temporal variations of the elements levels in the prismatic layer were clearer than those in the nacreous layer (especially for Li, Mg, Mn, Pb, and Fe). Comparison of the gained data from this study with the other relevant researches shows that in most cases the levels of the elements in this investigation either fell within the range for other world areas or were lower. Generally, it can be concluded that the shell (especially prismatic layer) of P. radiata can be considered as a suitable proxy for temporal and spatial variations of the trace elements (and probably some environmental parameters) in the study area.

A novel pollution index based on the bioavailability of elements: a study on Anzali wetland bed sediments

In this research, we study on the distribution of several elements in bed sediments of Anzali wetland. Anzali, one of the most important international wetlands, is located on the southern coast of the Caspian Sea in Iran. This wetland receives discharges of domestic, agricultural, and industrial wastewater, which affect the distribution of elements. Our contribution in this study is threefold. First, we measured the total concentration of metals as well as their chemical partitioning and bioavailability in the sediments. Second, we calculated anthropogenic portions of metals in the sediment of this area. The results reveal anthropogenic portion of metals as Mo > Mn > Cd > As > Zn > Hg > Co > Sn > Cu > V > Ag > Ni > Pb > Fe > Cr > Al, respectively. We evaluated the intensity of pollution by using an enrichment factor, the geo-accumulation index and the pollution index. All these indices do not take into consideration the bioavailability of the elements. As our third and most important contribution, we introduced a new formula that takes into account the bioavailability of different elements. In comparison with aforementioned pollution indices, our newly introduced pollution index has a higher Pearson correlation with anthropogenic portion of metals. This high-correlation coefficient shows that our proposed pollution index is an effective indicator for determining the level of pollution, while other indices preserve their own merits.

Determination of heavy metal (Zn, Pb, Cd and Cr) concentration in benthic fauna tissues collected from the southeast Caspian Sea, Iran

The aim of the present study was to determine zinc (Zn), chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) content of benthic fauna in the southeast coast of the Caspian Sea, where the major fish restocking programs are conducted. Seasonal sampling was performed in three sampling sites: north Miankaleh (NM), south Miankaleh (SM) and Gharesoo coast (GC). Results showed that sampling sites, sampling seasons and sampling sites × sampling seasons interaction had a significant effect on the heavy metal levels (p < 0.05). The yearly heavy metal concentration order was as follows: Zn > Pb > Cd > Cr. Yearly Pb levels of the NM site were significantly higher than the other sites. Also, yearly Cr levels of the SM site were significantly higher than site GC. Comparison of the benthos heavy metal levels with the available reference values suggests that the benthos tissues might be highly polluted which can intoxicate the fish feeding on them.

Magntic susceptibility as a proxy to heavy metal content in the sediments of Anzali wetland, Iran

Heavy metal concentrations and magnetic susceptibility of sediment samples were analyzed as indicators of urban and industrial contamination in Anzali wetland in Gilan, Iran. The aim was to investigate the suitability of magnetic properties measurements for indicating heavy metal pollution. The concentration of six heavy metals (Ni, Cr, Cd, Zn, Fe, and Pb) was determined in different depths of four sediment core samples within four different regions of the wetland (Abkenar, Hendekhaleh, Shijan and Siakeshim). Average concentration of heavy metals in the sediment cores was higher than the severe effect level (SEL) for Ni, Cr and Fe (77.26, 113.63 ppm and 5.2%, respectively) and lower than SEL for Cd, Zn and Pb (0.84, 137.7, 29.77 ppm, respectively). It was found that the trend of metal concentrations with the depth is different in each core and is related to the pollution discharges into the rivers entering the wetland. Core magnetic susceptibility measurements also showed different magnetic properties in each core. Cluster analysis was applied using Pearson correlation coefficient between heavy metal concentrations and magnetic properties across each core. Significant relationship was found to exist between magnetic susceptibility and the concentration of Ni in Abkenar and the concentration of Fe in other regions. Whereas Abkenar is almost the isolated and uncontaminated region of the wetland, it revealed a difference in magnetic properties between contaminated and uncontaminated sediments. It was concluded that magnetic properties of samples from contaminated zone were mostly related to Fe content. The result of this study demonstrated that magnetic susceptibility measurements could be applied as a proxy method for heavy metal pollution determination in marine environments in Iran especially as a rapid and cost-effective introductory site assessments.

Use of Solen brevis as a biomonitor for Cd, Pb and Zn on the intertidal zones of Bushehr-Persian Gulf, Iran

The concentrations of Zn, Cd and Pb were determined in tissues (shell and soft tissue) of 144 of bivalve mollusks (Solen brevis) and 15 samples of surface sediment collected from three locations in intertidal zones of Bushehr coast, Persian Gulf, Iran in May 2011. The mean concentrations of Zn, Cd and Pb in the sediment samples were 26.2, 1.25, and 21.1 μg/g dw, respectively. The mean levels of Zn, Cd and Pb in the clam samples were 63.3, 0.67, and 4.38 μg/g dw in soft tissue and 10. 7, 1.53, and 15.6 μg/g dw in shell, respectively. The degrees of variability (CV %) for Cd and Pb within the shells were lower than for soft tissues, whereas the CV for Zn was lower in the soft tissue than in the shell, indicating that there is more precision (lower CV) in the determination of Cd and Pb in the shells and Zn in the soft tissues. Significant correlation were found between Cd (r = 0.63; p < 0.05) and Pb (r = 0.78; p < 0.01) concentrations in the shell of S. brevis and their concentrations in the surface sediments. Indeed, Zn concentrations in the soft tissue of S. brevis significantly (r = 0.63; p < 0.05) correlated with Zn concentrations in surface sediments. The results of this study suggest that the shell of S. brevis may serve as a reliable biomonitor for Cd and Pb, and the soft tissue for Zn.

Assessment of cadmium, copper, lead and zinc contamination using oysters (Saccostrea cucullata) as biomonitors on the coast of the Persian Gulf, Iran

The levels of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn in surface sediment, soft tissue and shell of the oyster Saccostrea cucullata collected from three locations, in the intertidal zones of Lengeh Port, northern part of Persian Gulf were measured. Results indicated that there were a positive correlation across Zn (r = 0.58, p = 0.025), Cd (r = 0.74, p < 0.01) and Cu (r = 0.80, p < 0.01) levels in the soft tissue of oyster and sediment which supported this fact that the soft tissue of S. cucullata can be considered as biomonitoring agent for Cd, Zn and Cu in the Lengeh Port.

Determination of polychlorinated biphenyls and total mercury in two fish species (Esox lucius and Carassius auratus) in Anzali Wetland, Iran

The Anzali Wetland is one of the most important ecosystems in the north of Iran, and parts of it were registered as a Ramsar site in 1975. However, even though, due to many problems, including eutrophication produced by inflow of excess nutrients and organic materials, the wetland was also listed on the Montreux Record indicating the need to take urgent remedial action. This study was conducted to study the levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and total mercury (THg) in two fish species (Esox lucius and Carassius auratus) as bio-indicators of the ecosystem condition in eastern part of Anzali Wetland. The sampling was carried out in six different periods between years 2009 and 2010. The results showed that the amounts of PCBs in the muscle of northern pike were below the detection limit of gas chromatography, whereas the average concentration in goldfish was 0.449 mg/kg wet weight. Some possible reasons for the higher levels of PCBs in goldfish in comparison with pike have been discussed. No significant (p < 0.05) correlation was observed between PCBs and biological factors (weight, length, lipid content) for both species. On the other hand, the mean concentration of THg in the muscle of pike and goldfish were 182.22 and 75.27 ng/g dry weight, respectively. Although these concentrations were below US-EPA criterion for human consumption (0.3 mg/kg), it pointed up a significant deterioration of the ecosystem condition during the past years. Finally, statistical analysis revealed a significant correlation between THg with weight and an insignificant correlation with length for pike specimens.

Trace element accumulation in bivalve mussels Anodonta woodiana from Taihu Lake, China

Data are presented for 13 trace metals (Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Mo, Ag, Cd, and Pb) in 38 bivalve mussels Anodonta woodiana from four separate sites (Huzhou, Dapu, Sansandao, and Manshan) around the Taihu Lake of China. All elemental concentrations generally ranked in decreasing order, Mn > Fe > Zn > As ≈ Cu ≈ Cd ≈ Se > Pb > Mo ≈ Ag, except that Cr, Co, and Ni were not detected. Anodonta woodiana was able to bioaccumulate essential Mn and toxic Cd to the extremely high level of 19,240 and 53 mg/kg dry weight, respectively. Geographical differences in the concentrations of trace elements were usually significant between sampling sites except for As and Pb, and the mussels from Sanshandao site had mostly accumulated or were contaminated with essential and toxic elements. The residue level of Cd in A. woodiana from the Sanshandao and Manshan sites appeared to be even higher than those of the essential elements Cu and Se, and exceeded the corresponding maximum residue limits of China. The present study provides the most recent information on trace element bioaccumulation or contamination in Taihu Lake and, further, suggests that A. woodiana can be used as a suitable bioindicator for inland water environmental monitoring.