title: The influence of body size, condition index and tidal exposure on the variability in metal bioaccumulation in Mytilus edulis.
abstract: Mussels are commonly used to monitor metal pollution despite high inter-individual variability in tissue concentrations. In this study, influences of body size, condition index and tidal height on concentrations of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn were investigated. Body weight was inversely related to metal concentrations and for Cd, Mn, Pb and Zn the regression was affected by tidal height. Except for As, Fe and Mn metal concentrations were inversely related to physiological status though no differences between essential and non-essential metals were obvious. After correcting for body size, tidal height was related positively to As, Cd and Zn, negatively related to Cu, Fe and Mn while Co, Cr, Ni and Pb were independent of tidal height. The study recommends stringent measures during sampling for biomonitoring or metal concentrations at each location must be normalized to a common body size, CI and tidal height.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Ecophysiology, Biochemistry and Toxicology, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerp, Belgium. kayawevalentine.mubiana@ua.ac.be <kayawevalentine.mubiana@ua.ac.be>
authors.forename: Valentine K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Mubiana
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vercauteren
authors.forename: Ronny
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Blust
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001151:Arsenic / Q000032:analysis; D049628:Body Size; D001835:Body Weight; D002104:Cadmium / Q000032:analysis; D002857:Chromium / Q000032:analysis; D003035:Cobalt / Q000032:analysis; D003300:Copper / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D007501:Iron / Q000032:analysis; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis; D008345:Manganese / Q000032:analysis; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D049878:Mytilus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D009426:Netherlands; D009532:Nickel / Q000032:analysis; D012623:Seawater; D014872:Water Movements; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002104:Cadmium; D002857:Chromium; D007854:Lead; D003035:Cobalt; D008345:Manganese; D003300:Copper; D009532:Nickel; D007501:Iron; D015032:Zinc; D001151:Arsenic