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The common mussel Mytilus edulis as an indicator of trace metals in Scandinavian waters. II. lead, iron and manganese

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Abstract

Concentrations of lead, iron and manganese in whole soft parts of mussels, Mytilus edulis (L.), collected from 54 locations in Scandinavian waters were determined. The indicator ability of the mussel for these metals was tested by considering local variations in concentrations of the three metals in relation to known industrial sources. A general agreement with previous published data was reached; the indicator ability of the mussel for lead and iron was supported over the entire range of salinity prevalent in the study area, whereas that for manganese appeared dubious, at least in low-salinity regions. Consideration of the overall profiles of metal contamination revealed similar trends to those previously reported for zinc and cadmium in mussels from the study area, at least for lead and iron. Thus, higher concentrations of lead and iron were found in mussels from low-salinity waters east of Sweden than in mussels from high-salinity waters west of Sweden. The decrease from the high-metal mussel samples to those with low metal concentrations was apparent in the areas of the Sound and Great Belt, coincident with the mixing of Baltic water with water of Kattegat/Skagerrak origin. Concentrations of manganese in mussels followed this trend only weakly, possibly due to the partial regulation of body loads of this element in M. edulis. The comparison of lead and iron concentrations in mussels with those reported for water suggested a greater biological availability of these metals in the low-salinity water masses east of Sweden. This availability difference may be related to the low primary productivity of these waters compared to the more typically marine waters to the west of Sweden. The comparison of the concentrations of lead and iron in mussels from the present study with those in mussels from other waters of the world showed Swedish coasts to be severely polluted by lead, particularly on the eastern seaboard; iron concentrations are also rather high in the Baltic samples, but decrease in the Sound and Great Belt to much lower levels, which are maintained in Kattegat and Skagerrak. The profiles for manganese reveal rather higher values in mussels from Scandinavian waters than in those from Britain or New Zealand; however, the uncertainty concerning the indicator ability of M. edulis for this element renders the implications of this obscure.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Zoology Institute, University of Uppsala, Uppsala, Sweden

    D. J. H. Phillips

  2. Fishesies Research Station, 100 A Shek Pai Wan Road, Aberdeen, Hong Kong

    D. J. H. Phillips

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  1. D. J. H. Phillips
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Communicated by T.M. Fenchel, Aarhus

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Phillips, D.J.H. The common mussel Mytilus edulis as an indicator of trace metals in Scandinavian waters. II. lead, iron and manganese. Mar. Biol. 46, 147–156 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00391530

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